14 Years, 7 Months...Welcome to high school!

Summer is coming to an end.  Mom went back to work and Emily and I hung out at home.  Nana Arden came over to bring us McDonald’s and a treat on a couple of days.  I have been busy with volleyball practice and am really enjoying my school team.  I can’t believe I get to play varsity!  I had a problem with my class schedule and dad took me up to school to talk with my counselor.  She is amazing and did everything she could to get me not only in the right classes, but in the classes I wanted.  I really like her, and she gets to follow me for 4 years. 

I went out to a movie with Aaron and his parents.  Nothing like a double date with the parents!  We also went to a couple of Mizzou volleyball games, went swimming at his neighborhood pool, and hung out at our house later.  At Church, we had blessings of the backpack, but I was too cool to go up and get my backpack tag.  I like to hang out with the youth group in the back of church during the service.  Our family went to Corinne’s birthday party even though I wanted to skip to hang out with Aaron some more before Jump Start day.

Things have gone so fast since school started!  I went to Jump Start day so I could get a feel for the high school building the day before classes started.  I thought I was going to be able to walk through my schedule, but we did not.  It was really hot and we had an assembly outside on the bleachers of the football stadium.  Afterwards, we had our school pictures taken.  Nothing like a sweaty mess!  My first day of school went pretty well.  We had our first BHS Jamboree against California and Fatima that night.  I get to play middle back DS and rotate when Maria is in the backrow.  I get to play about half the time which isn’t too bad for a freshman on varsity.  I even got on TV that night, as I was celebrating a point and also a really good dig that I had.  I realized quickly that my AP classes were too much work.  I again changed my schedule and am now in Honors classes instead.

I went to some of Aaron’s basketball games, and we spent time at each other’s houses as much as we could after school started.  Volleyball is keeping me seriously busy.  One week, he was very insistent on getting together with me at Andy’s.  When we were finally able to get together, he surprised me with asking me to homecoming through a poster of Taylor Swift songs!  I went dress shopping with Lila and her mom since my mom was at home with Emily, who had Covid.  I wished she could have been there, but I found a beautiful dress, and also ordered one online.  I decided to keep them both!  We canceled spending the night because of the Covid exposure, but I never got it.

I went to Texas Longhorn with my team for a bonding experience.  They are all so nice and inclusive of me.  They offer me rides since I am the only one who is not able to drive.  Our first real game was against Eldon, and I got to play against Jaiden from Missouri Juniors.  I had a highlight reel on hudl that showed 19 digs!  Again, not bad for a freshman on varsity!  Our team had a carwash fundraiser with the softball team and I went to the Mizzou/Louisville game after that.  That is one of my top volleyball schools that I would like to go to.

We have since had volleyball games at Lebanon, at home vs. Hallsville (Papa Ron and Linda came!), a tournament at Hickman, a game at Blair Oaks, and a game at Helias (Aaron went with mom).  I am so exhausted and was glad to have a day off school in the middle of that.  We walked in the very short first annual homecoming parade!  We start next month with another tournament and my homecoming!

Mom's friend Stephanie when she had to skip the MU volleyball game because Emily had Covid

And her daughter Lauren

I'm their "Freshie" (Janaya and Henley)

Go Battle Spartans!

Getting ready for the Jamboree

Getting ready to play against Eldon

Subbing in!

Of course I will go to Homecoming with you!

Papa Ron and Linda supporting me

Excited for the Hickman tournament with Janaya and Henley

So excited to play against Lia

Thanks for coming Aaron

Together again-Lia, Lilah, Alaina, and me

Wiped out!

Playing against Helias

Reunited with Taylor

1st annual Homecoming parade

Reese Robins

Charitie Luper

Elena Scott

Ann DeBeer

Phekran Kong

Elle Glock

Homecoming shopping!

Jamboree serve receive

Jamboree serve

Aaron asking me to his homecoming

Serving against Lebanon

Promo video

Point against Hallsville

14 1/2 Years Old...Tucson, Mexico, and VARSITY VOLLEYBALL!!!

 More to come...

I have been so busy and stressed out, even though I know it is all stuff that I am choosing.  Because our family is going on vacation, I had a separate uniform try-on for Missouri Juniors.  I missed meeting with the team, but Ali was there!  We did have a Zoom with Coach Maci and our team to discuss expectations.

I tried to fit in as much time with Aaron as I could before we left on our vacation.  I went to his house and he came to my house.  Mom signed me up for a Women in Sport conference but I didn’t want to go.  I wanted to have more time with Aaron.  She wanted me to give it a try, but I thought it was a waste of time.

I got to go on a plane for the first time on our family trip to Tucson!  We got to the airport around 3:30 and left around 6:30. We were in Arizona before 10 AM!  I loved being in a plane and said, “We should take a plane everywhere we go” after we touched down.  We had also been awake for so long and I said, “Flying makes me hungry!”

It was so good to see Papa Rick and Nana Peggy again!  We also got to see our Uncle Sammy for the second time as well as his girlfriend Catie.  She has a dangerous hospital job and needs to have a car to get another job.  I really wanted to give her our car!

We did so many things in Tucson.  We went to two history museums, including the Arizona History Museum which was really interesting.  Afterwards, we drove around the University of Arizona and ate lunch downtown.  It was at this point that I knew I would not be going to this school because the high (every day) was 114 degrees!  So disgusting!  While in Tucson, we also went to the Colossal Cave.  It was supposed to be cooler but it wasn’t, and it smelled like bat poop.  Nana Peggy took us to a Mini Museum and we go to see a lot of miniature houses, etc.  Marie and Todd and Michelle came over too one night.  We played pool volleyball with them, and I enjoyed just visiting with them.  I really liked Marie.

The next day, we traveled by car to Puerto Penasco to their Mexico house.  Even though it was cooler there, it was so humid and gross!  We went swimming in the Gulf of California the first afternoon, but it had a lot of seaweed in it and was not refreshing at all.  It was warmer than bathwater.  Mom and Dad went swimming the next morning and said it was better, but I’m glad I stayed in bed.  Later that day, we went to CEDO where they worked for over 30 years.  There was an ecohouse there that was made of tires and soda cans, a huge whale skeleton, and we saw a baby coyote that they took in to rehabilitate.  Later that hot afternoon, we went on the Mexican Rodeo Drive to go shopping.  I bought Aaron’s family a lot of gifts there.  That night, we walked around downtown like a tourist and had ice cream.  I saw a girl in the ice cream shop who seemed to really like me and ordered the same thing that I had.  It made my night.  I also saw a man downtown who was so happy making music and that doubly made my night. Our last day in Mexico, we drove to the estuary and had lunch.  Emily and I were fascinated with the ground squirrels and tried to feed them.

We headed back to Tucson and enjoyed the pool that afternoon, as well as some yummy (and gigantic) pizza.  Sammy and Catie came over again.  Our last full day, we drove up Mount Lemmon and enjoyed lunch where it was 22 degrees cooler toward the top!  Papa Rick cut up a watermelon and we had a blast seeing how far we could throw the rinds!  On our last morning, we had a morning swim and lunch with Sammy and Catie.  We made it safely to the airport, but our flight was delayed.  We had to sprint through the airport and barely made our connecting flight.  When we got back to Columbia, we found that our luggage did not make it with us.  It was at this point that I broke down.  I wanted my stuff so bad before seeing Aaron the next day.  It all worked out, but I was very tired and emotional.

I got to go to several of Aaron’s basketball games when we got back.  We watched a family movie (The Parent Trap).  The next day, I went to see the Barbie movie with my friends and LOVED it!  I really want to watch it with mom.  We had a high school sports “dead week” so I was able to catch up on sleep, but unfortunately, Aaron’s family went on vacation that week.  My family is hoping to do our vacation this week next year so we don’t miss out on as many things as we did this year.

I was so excited when Aaron got back because we made it through our month of barely seeing each other.  I spent the day with him, and was mad when Mom and Dad made me to go the Battle High School sports meeting and then to hang out with family at Rodney’s office.  I was thrilled to start tryouts for high school volleyball!  One the second day, Coach Sammi pulled me aside and asked how I would feel about playing on varsity!!! That’s right, I’m on VARSITY!!! Not only that, but I am the only freshman with no sophomores on varsity!!!  We met up with Aaron and his mom that night at Andy’s and went to walk around Shelter Gardens and PetSmart.  (I love begging to get a cat and crying when I don’t!)

Emily went to Washington for a few days after that and I was busy with volleyball practice in the afternoons.  Our coach listed me as an outside hitter/DS, but she is having me play DS.  We had our team pictures and because I am on Varsity, I go to play in the Call to Battle game against alumni.  It was so much fun to compete on the court again. Aaron and his mom came, and Aaron even bought a Battle volleyball shirt! All the girls on the team are so nice and welcoming.  I particularly like Taylor and Janaya.  Since I am the only one on the team who doesn’t drive, they have offered me rides and included me in all the after-practice team stuff.

Mizzou volleyball has started up again and we have season tickets.  Unfortunately, I am so busy that I am not always able to go.  I went to the Black and Gold game with Aaron and also got to spend a day with him before mom went back to work.  It is going to be hard to get together once school starts back up.  Nana Arden came to bring us lunch the first day Mom went back to work.  Mom’s friend and her family came over for a BBQ one Sunday night.  She has twin 6-year-old boys and they were crazy!  I didn’t even know what to think about them!  I locked my door so they wouldn’t get in there.

This year is going to be amazing!  I can’t wait!