busyness & basketball...

I hope absence truly makes the heart grow fonder because I have been absent from this blog for a few months. As the country has been getting vaccinated, the world has started opening back up & it allowed us to get back to some normalcy. As I type this we are in the process of wrapping up a busy season that included getting our family vaccinated, a limited basketball season, an alternative Senior Ball, Mother's Day, Chris & my 22nd anniversary, Ashlyn's Graduation & the last days of school. What a blessing it is to be so busy & to have so many things to celebrate. 

In an attempt to get caught up on the last two months, let's start with basketball. 

Between the end of the 2019/2020 season, when Landon was team manager for the JV team, & the start of this delayed season Landon grew a good five inches. He literally went from being one of the shortest kids to one of the tallest. We were so proud of him for continuing to put in the work & for his determination & we were elated when he made the JV team this year.

Landon got to learn from a new coaching staff this year & they have helped him grow a lot. The majority of this season Landon was the starting center. 

I think it is one of my greatest joys watching him play. It was difficult to watch as the pandemic robbed him of the many social aspects of life; time with his friends, basketball, even just walking the halls every day at school. I know we have all taken these things for granted in the past but I am thankful that God has given us all this opportunity to truly value the not-so-simple things in life. 

There were varying rules this season for social distancing, masks & fans. The kids were covid tested weekly for safety. But the bottom line was that the kids got to play & that's all we cared about.

Landon talked to me about how much he likes the sense of brotherhood that comes with being a part of a team & I can truly see how it makes him come alive. 

I wouldn't call Landon a perfectionist but I can definitely see how badly he wants to do & perform well. He doesn't want to let down the team & he can be really hard on himself when he doesn't feel like he has lived up to his own expectations. He is encouraging to his teammates, he is hard working & he doesn't waste time messing around during practice. His professionalism will serve him well as he gets older. I think he is a great team player. He isn't selfish, he will go for the assist about as often as he will take the shot. Of course, if you ask Landon he will tell you that I don't count because I'm "just his mom." (insert eye-rolling emoji here)

As I said, it is truly a joy to watch him play so I will include some videos because I don't want to deprive you of that joy...