Running in the Rain

At the start of March, we had our first free Saturday without basketball. While we loved our Saturdays at the court, they did not allow for our usual adventures, and it was a perfect day for being outside at the Science Center. During this trip, we separated into boys and girls in the outdoor section, and I was quite surprised when Emmy wanted to go in the petting zoo. When she was little, she wouldn't get anywhere close to the animals, but on this day, she was brave enough to even pose for photos. She had her own camera and took several pictures too. After leaving from the Science Center, we had lunch at Freddy's and then made a stop at Play It Again Sports. There were still a few items we needed for the upcoming baseball season, and we were able to find some good deals on a glove and helmet for Eli and belts and socks for both kids. I have managed to acquire the other items (bat bags, bats, cleats, and pants) from coworkers and from Aunt Megan. Whew baseball equipment can be expensive! Thank goodness for hand-me-downs. After leaving from Greensboro, we headed to Winston to catch Wake baseball in a double header against the Binghamton Bearcats. We saw the last four innings of the first game and then the first five innings of the second game. Wake ended up winning both games. Go Deacs!

The baseball season will soon be underway for both kids. Emmy had evaluations last Monday, and I was so incredibly proud of her bravery and courage to step out on that field. Kernersville Little League does not have a separate softball division, so Emmy is playing with the boys! She is one of three girls in the machine-pitch age group. While we would have loved for her and Maddox to be on the same team, Emmy will be playing with her friend Avery, whose dad is coaching. I think it will be nice for the two girls to be together. Boomer has offered to be an assistant coach, and Emmy is excited about that. She always seems to be more confident and open to instruction with Daddy close by. As we were leaving evaluations, she said several times that she wanted to practice the drills, like ground balls and batting, with him. I have been so impressed by her determination to improve and learn a new sport. Eli has his first t-ball practice this coming Saturday. Stay tuned for photos of our littlest ball player!

Yesterday, Meg and I checked off our 2024 half marathon. All week, the forecast was predicting a 100% chance of rain, and for once, they sure got it right. It was a steady rain throughout the whole race. We suited up in our best water-proof gear, but within a few seconds of being outside, we were sufficiently soaked. We were not deterred and ran the race anyway. Meg had a fantastic time (1:54), while I was much slower (2:10). My time was still somehow good enough for a 3rd Place finish in the 30s age group, and Meg took 2nd Place in her new 40s(!) age group. She seems to get faster each year, while I seem to be getting slower. I'm proud of us for keeping this tradition each year. With the less than ideal weather conditions, it was the first year we did not have our usual cheering crew. There was no need for everyone to get wet! We knew that they were cheering for us from home. After the race and later that day, Boomer and I got dressed up for the JROTC Military Ball. We enjoyed the date night...even though it was with 100 or so high school students haha!

A few more photos to wrap up this post: Emmy's basketball pictures, a shoutout for Boomer in his hometown paper and in the Kernersville News, and a special package in the mail - my cap and gown! We moved our clocks forward this weekend, and we are excited for the spring season ahead.