February 2022- Robotics, Basketball, Horses, Hillsdale

 

The boys won their regional robotics tournaments (Charlie for elementary and Tucker for middle school) and they went to state at Auburn.  It was a big deal!  Smoke and music for them to come out to!  Daddy took them and we watched on the internet from home.  

They won several awards and made it to Nationals!!  We aren't going to go, but we are so proud of their hard work!

We were excited to see the new Birmingham football team- the Legion!

And you KNOW KNOW KNOW that Tucker made a sign!  A hammer and anvil!

Marc and Julia went to Key Club District Convention and had a great time!

Our chapter-

I took all the children for eye exams and found out Marc and Julia have 20/20 vision and the two boys needed glasses- Charlie is farsighted and Tucker is nearsighted.

They won't have to wear them all the time, just mainly when doing schoolwork.  But they are adorable in them!

 

Annie and Cecilia at a Superbowl party-

The half time show for our Superbowl party was using a blow torch to give the Chirstmas tree a nice send off-

Julia rode in the Cowboy Day Parade in Columbiana-

Marc's basketball team went to the state championship and got runner up.  

As with all special moments- Tucker made a sign-

T and C always bring Striker Jr. for the school spirit!

His loyal fan club made this seasons so special- we loved hearing "Marc, Marc, Marc, Marc" over and over from the student section.

Sissy at a bridal shower we helped host-

Field trip with the boys to the art museum-

While the boys went to Fraternus on Wednsday nights, Julia, Annie and I had Mexican on our girls' nights out.  

These two adore each other.  He's like a mini-Dad to her.  

Testing out my new cell phone's night pictures and portrait modes-

And my new phone has amazing zoom- see that picture to the left of the fireplace? Without moving I could zoom in-

To this close-

I chaperoned a young adult dance in February.  While I was there, Dad called and said Mom fell down their basement stairs and may have twisted or broken her ankle. He said I didn't need to come to the hospital because they would be going home shortly.

Only an hour later he called and said she had cracked her C5 in her neck and broken her fibia and tibia completely.  They were rushing her by ambulance to UAB trauma center and due to Covid no one coudl come with her.  It was so sad and scary.  She was adorable even in the hospital.  We could visit her one at a time.  She learned the names and backstory of every single person that walked by her room.  Everyone said she was their favorite patient.  BB is a sunshine wherever she goes.

It was a long, hard journey to recovery.  Having a broken leg in a huge cast is one thing.  Having a neck injury on top of it and not being able to look in any direction is a whole different ball game.  She was in bad shape for a long time.  Poppy was an angel and got her through.

Also in February Marc and Marky went to Hillsdale to see if he could get an additional choir scholarship to add to his academic scholarship.  It was a last minute idea and we had almost no time to do it so they literally drove up stayed one night in a hotel, auditioned and then drove through the night home getting home at 3 a.m so big Marc could be back for a case.  

The audition process was so humbling for me as it confirmed how God is strong when I am weak.     I sent Marky up there to audition for the main choir.  He did that audition and did great (and won a small scholarship), but while we were there the music secretary said, "did you think about trying out for chapel choir?" 

 I hadn't even heard of chapel choir- had no idea it was thing and that there was money available.  Marc told her they were interested, and she said, "Oh, darn, that professor has left for the day."  Then a few minutes later she said, "Actually he is here and said if you come after his current class he will let you audition."  Marc did that and had a wonderful audition.  The professor did some tests and at one point said, "If you can do this, you will be the only student I have ever had audition to be able to do it."  Marc did it!  We are so grateful to the Birmingham Boys Choir for training him so well.  A few days later Marc received a HUGE sacred music scholarship beyond our dreams to add to his already generous academic scholarship.  So he won a scholarship I didn't know existed for a choir I didn't know existed.   We are beyond grateful at God's providence in our lives.  Here are pictures from that trip.

He ran into my college friend's daughter- 

And they had dinner with a friend from our church-