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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Another Milestone, Another Memory

We have survived another three-night-basketball week and have enjoyed our weekend of sunshine and somewhat warmer weather as it hit 51 degrees here today!!

I am happy to report that Kamdyn's team finally got another win this week and also had two games where they scored in the double digits. I realize to some this may not be such an accomplishment but for her and her team it most definitely was! She also had her best game of the season Friday night, scoring 20 points for her JV team in a game they lost. All in all, we counted her week a success and were thankful things took a turn for the positive!

I also knew this week of home games would bring another milestone for our family - Brendan would be playing his final game in our gym. While the season is not over, the kids are done in their regular season and have no more games at home. We knew this would be a big night for several reasons - it was senior night, Ellie was coming in to see Brendan and her friends play their final game and this was also going to be a big district game for their team.

As I was getting ready for senior night and thinking about the many, many, many pictures I have of Brendan playing basketball I found this....


...and I realized not only would Brian and I watch Brendan play his final game at home but that it would also be the last time where we would see Brendan and Koby on the home court together. Here's the thing - when I look at my boys these are the faces I see. In this picture they are most likely 7 and 8 and at this point they both had dreams of being in the NBA.

I can't even begin to tell you how many hours I have logged sitting on bleachers or miles I have driven for games and practices. But each hour and each mile made a memory deep in this mother's heart and I wouldn't trade it for a single minute! They have played all over Mississippi and in our drive way and they have lost and they have won but they have played together - Brendan always telling Koby what to do or where to go and Koby doing whatever he wanted to, getting the shot he knew he could make.

And Friday night, we reached another milestone and I tucked another memory down deep in my heart...


...as the announcer recognized #2 Senior and Team Captain Brendan Bailey and his coach presented him a ball signed by the team and I looked up at our son who daily takes another step away from childhood and into adulthood. He nodded at the crowd, shook the coach's hand and time marched on. My tears only came as they called his name for the last time in the starting line up and he ran out on the court, high-fiving his teammates down the line then gathering with his brother and the other starters to do something he started from the first game of this season...


...and I realized this is what God intended. Not awards and trophies and recognition but a heart devoted to Him, a spirit leading others to seek Him.

Before the game I was able to take this picture of Brendan and Koby with two of their "other brothers" and I had to share it here with you...


...the boys all smiles and laughing. It is one of my favorites from the night besides this last one. I mentioned earlier we had a big district game for this final home game. We had already beat this team once to earn first place but Friday night we couldn't pull out another win. With 16 seconds to go Brendan made a shot in the lane that put us within 2 points but we weren't able to score again after that. When the clock hit 0 I took this picture...


...and a second later he had his jersey over his face to wipe his tears. I have always said sports provide our kids such great life lessons and even when you loose like they did there is something you can learn. You keep going. You let it make you stronger. You never stay defeated. And after gathering with his team in the locker room he came back out on the court to do this....


...ask Ellie to Prom. In case you are wandering, she said yes! Brendan knew what he wanted to do to ask her and Koby's girlfriend helped him with the artistic details. Some of Brendan's friends brought the sign out once he came out of the locker room and those in the stands clapped when they saw it. And life went on, another milestone and another memory.

By the way, Koby has also asked his girlfriend to Prom...


...which was documented on Social Media and she said yes as well!

It is hard to believe we are arriving at the end of January this week. This month has flown by! We still have several more weeks of basketball to go as Kamdyn's JV team plays in the district tournament this week and her Varsity team and the boys' team play in the tournament the first week of February. We are also expecting another "arctic blast" from the Polar Vortex this week so my flip flops will remain in the back of the closet a little longer.

Have a great week y'all!

4 comments:

  1. one day i will learn not to read your blog during my conference...love all of these pics...especially the family one. senior night...wow... love the prom invites too! memories in the making...love ya!

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  2. great ways of thinking that these guys have!! Your family is precious!!
    hugs..
    shug

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  3. This makes me miss ya'll so much!

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  4. Ok, been there and done this,,got the heart scars to prove it.....want to talk about late nite, tear filled conversations about broken hearts from about 20 years ago?

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