Remembering our Grandpas

Emmy is officially halfway through her kindergarten year. She has been excelling in her school work, and she loves her teacher and classmates. Aunt Megan sent me this picture of a paper clip craft Emmy made one day before school. She loves drawing, creating, and learning.  

Last Friday night, Emmy had her first school dance. Little brother and Mommy tagged along, too! The Snow Ball Dance was from 6PM - 7:30PM. Unfortunately Boomer was not able to join us; he went to the big rivalry basketball game between Forbush and Starmount. With the 6PM start of the dance, we did a quick wardrobe change for Emmy and an oh-so-fancy dinner at Burger King before returning to her school. Emmy had lots of fun dancing with her friends and with her cousins. It sure is special having them at the same school together. 

We've had more back-to-back Saturdays of basketball. Last Saturday, Granny, Paw Paw, Aunt Megan, Zander, and Maddox came to the game. Emmy always has a strong cheering section, and she always looks over to see if we are watching. With each game, she is showing improvement, and she is more involved with the action on the court. She had several rebounds, good passes, and shot attempts. The one basket she made last week was unfortunately for the other team...oops! We are still working on the fundamentals. 

This Saturday, Emmy had two baskets, this time for the right team! After she played, we stuck around to watch Maddox's game. He really hustles and made several of the points for his team. It sure was fun when he and Emmy were on the same team last year. But it is evident that this next level is faster-paced and much more aggressive. Emmy has recently asked about cheerleading, so we will see what the future holds for our little baller. 

Boomer had an overnight conference this past week and was in Durham for two nights. We were glad when he returned back home for our usual Friday night movie night. 

Yesterday, we got the sad news that my Grandpa Bill passed away. He was hospitalized before Christmas, and after surgery, he moved to an assisted living facility in the beginning of January. Although we knew he would likely not return home, it still came as a surprise on Friday when my dad called at work to tell me Grandpa had passed. My parents were down in Florida just a few days ago, and I am glad that they were with him in his final days. There will be a memorial service this coming Friday, but with Boomer already going to Virginia that same day for his grandfather's service on Saturday, we've made the decision for me to stay here in Kernersville with the kids. I will always remember Grandpa Bill for his love of NASCAR and especially Dale Earnhardt. He also loved Duke basketball (not really sure why!) Even in his 80s, he and Grandma would still make the trip up to North Carolina to see us and their great-grandchildren. He got to meet all four of them which is very special. He was a giant of a man, and he could always fit multiple children on his lap at a time. The week ahead will be a hard one as we remember Grandpa Bill and Boomer's grandfather Randy/Tall Man. We are blessed to celebrate their lives and to look forward to seeing them again in heaven.