B-Balling, Drilling and Hunting

As predicted, we ended the first week of December with a bang!  We were running so much Saturday that we were too tired to even go to our Ward Christmas Party that night.  We heard it was fun, but we were ready to just hang out in front of the fire and veg.

We started our day by splitting up.  My hubby and I tend to do that a lot these days but we always get back together eventually :). 

M went with me to J's basketball game.  She decided to play this year and so of course, I am one of her coaches.  I was M's coach in 5th grade as well, so I guess it is tradition.  I am enjoying the girls and I having a good time.  J is doing pretty well especially since she has never played before.  She is playing under the basket and we are working on her rebound skills.  This is our second game and we won this time.  The girls were so excited and so was I.  They played so much better this time, that it made for an exciting game.  Now if we could just get J to stop running and jumping like a girl!

My hubby and K went to T's JROTC Drill Competition.  They have those a couple times a school year and they are always fun to watch.  For those of you who don't know what they are (I had no idea before I saw my first one) ---they are divided into flights (groups) and they are lead through a series of commands and graded on it.  Then there is also inspection, grades, physical training, etc. that they are given points.  Then they are awarded for 1st place in each category.  T's group got first in uniform inspection.  Then they always end with the Drill Down.  I was lucky to be able to get there just in time to see that.  That is when they all get out there and some men and women from Petersen usually, call out commands and those that get it right stay put, but those that get something wrong are out.  They narrow it down until there is a winner.  They are very picky too when it comes to this.  T was knocked out because he had his thumbs slightly bent at a REST position.  He always does so well and gets within the top 20 but he got out early this time.  He was quite mad at himself for the reason, but I am always so proud to see him out there in his uniform.  Of course, I think he is the best one out there.

So after we were all reunited and had changed into warm clothes, off we went to the mountains for our annual Christmas tree hunt.  We love doing this every year and I am always so grateful when it is not snowing.  It was cold this year though and so we had to dress warmer, but we still had a great time.  We decided that since we have a finished basement now, we needed a tree for downstairs.  So we cut down TWO trees.  We found them rather quickly this year which was nice since it was so late into the afternoon before we got up there.  There was a lot of snow, but we always have fun playing in it too.  We bring Duke every year and he has a blast romping through the forest.  T usually romps with him and then we are calling out for them to come back.  This has got to be one of my favorite traditions of all time.

I must admit that I love it more now than when the kids were little.  There was always someone crying and I ended up carrying that one while my hubby carried the tree.  And when we needed two people to carry the tree (which was most of the time) and there was a crying baby, they had to be pulled in a sled by one of the older ones.  And then they ended up crying too because it was so hard to pull them. It was a struggle to do this every year, but I am glad we perservered.  It is so much easier now--the 2 guys carry the tree and I get to carry only the camera and take pictures.  I don't really even have to help load the tree onto the car anymore since I have a burly son to do that now with his dad. 

The fun is just beginning so, now on to Week Two of December.