Even when I'm mad at them

So sweet.

Looking out the window. 

Peaceful.

Fakers... 

Later on...

Jumped up on kitchen sink, tipped over a bowl water onto the counter and floor after eating part of the hyacinth leaf, then puked up the leaf in the dining room.

Cats... Gotta love 'em❤️

How do they do it

High school athletes are just kids, 

still children in many ways, 

and yet, 

they seem to love the pressure of competition and a close ball game. 

This week, the Luck Cardinals played the neighboring Unity Eagles, in a boys varsity basketball game that has consequences in the season conference standings.  The larger part of the story is a long string of losses (4 seasons)  to the Eagles that the Cardinals wanted to snap.  

So, the game was on, the gym was full of fans, many of whom had come for the pancake supper fundraiser before the game and stayed for the action.  

With full bellies, the fans sat back to watch these two teams battle over hoops.

The Cardinals took the lead right away, 

helping the fans to settle into the seats and let their pancakes digest.

But the Eagles always stayed close.  

In the 4th quarter, the Eagles crept closer hitting clutch 3 point shots 

and by using their big men (soon to be college, D1 football players) in the lane.

 In this game, there were many great plays and fantastic shots by both teams.

Like this 3 pointer by great nephew Jack, #5.

And another...Jack was getting some good looks during this game.

Sister Ruby, #21, had a game during the girls' halftime, so she was suited up in the stands.

Watching the brothers play is a thrill and they bring a pretty good bunch of fans to the bleachers with just their family.  In the background of this photo,  I see Grandma Lois, Great Uncle Harold, cousin Alec, Uncle Brent, & Grandpa Ken.

Jack had several key rebounds, this one is one of many.

The last minutes of regulation were hectic, back and forth 

and just when I thought it was over, we tied the score.

As the Cardinals took the court to begin the overtime, the fans were probably reaching for their Tums.  This was not a fun game for the faint of heart.

My heart was racing, and my FitBit was even capturing some aerobic activity.

But our Cardinals were in control.

This clutch 3-pointer by Gage set the tone for the final minutes of OT.

The crowd went wild!!

 Sister Stella in the upper left, black shirt, screaming.

Mom Heather dead center in the black shirt, whooping.

Cousin Alec, right in the gray sweatshirt, on his feet.

Grandma Lois, behind Alec, smiling wide and clapping.

Oh my.

 But, it was far from over.

Gage and Jack knew it...we all knew it.

 This Unity team is big, tough and they know how to win, & they never give up.

But in this case, a scrappy, fast Cardinal team held on and won the game.

Free throws were key, 3-point shots were key and the heart of a team of boys sealed the deal.

Thanks for getting our juices going and giving us a thrill ride to a great ending.

Go Cardinals!

A moment of awe

Sometimes you see or hear something that just makes you take an extra breath and appreciate the moment.  A moment of awe is something to cherish.  

On Tuesday, I was driving to Luck in the afternoon and had the chance encounter with 2 white tails that were crossing the highway, well out of any danger zone to me.  The snow in the ditch was very deep and I watched one of the doe leap over a fence with such grace and lightness, it was awesome.

The day continued with an impressive show by the Luck Cardinals in a win over Unity in overtime.  The first time Luck has defeated the Unity team in the last 5 seasons.  It was so thrilling and frightening and exciting.  

After the game, the players mingle with the fans and family and take a few photos.

Jack wanted to have a photo with "his little buddy", youngest brother Jude.

 Gage asked Jude if he could have a photo 

and asked me to take the picture as they gave me the #1 sign.

Heather had asked her boys to let her take a photo and friend Levi was pulled into the set up.

Johansen boys Jens, Gage, Jude, & Jack with Levi Jensen.

When I saw this photo on my computer, it really made me take a moment 

to reflect on what great kids these are and how much I love them.

Live is Awe-some.

Driving

Gage is a sophomore and starting on the Varsity this year at Luck High School.

He's played in Jack's shadow his entire life, but now things are changing.  Jack is a senior and Gage is getting stronger, taller and more powerful on the court.  Gage is becoming a serious 3 point shooter and threatens from well behind the 3 point line.  

And, he's only a sophomore.

Brothers who play sports together, and who are intensely competitive, aren't always the best of friends.  I can't say exactly what the relationship is between these two boys right now, but I have a hunch that next year they will each realize what a treat this year is for them to both be on the court at the same time.

Gage is a nice young man, sensitive, which probably isn't easy at that age.

I had fun with Gage on Saturday going to watch his sister Ruby play 3rd & 4th grade basketball.

He was coached by his parents to go, and I was glad to have him as my co-pilot.

He's good with his younger siblings, not too cool to play a game of Uno but always watching for their welfare and good behavior.

Gage really appreciates the photos I take of him and I was glad to catch him in the act of having fun.

Two points!

Giving him 13 for the night, well done Gage!

 Go Cardinals!

I made this collage for Gage and am having it printed on poster board.
I haven't printed any photos this season.
This is a nice tribute to his good game against SCF.

Snow Day

A well predicted storm arrived about 8 hours behind schedule, but the predicted inches of snow are arriving as advertised. 

I cleared the driveway twice. By the time I got the first 6 inch layer off, there were 3 or 4 more inches. So, I got my steps in today. 

The plow guy can get the rest.

Never gives up

Jack, #5, is my great nephew.

He has an extensive understanding of basketball and an natural instinct for the game.

Watching Jack play basketball has been a joy since he was in youth b-ball when his shorts hung almost to the top of his shoes.

Now, as he plays his final year of high school ball, it is a joy to see him play hard and never give up.

In this series of photos, he was relentless 

in a struggle for possession of the basketball.

His tenacity scored 3 points for his team and ultimately fueled a win for the Cardinals.

***

Jack has always had a passion for sports, I'm not sure if this is still the case, but when he was younger, he was a wealth of information about current sporting events, statistics, player bio information, and standings.  I always joked that he was the Bob Costas of the family.

He is a focused young man with high expectations of his teammates; this can be troubling when others are not as committed as he is, but it fuels Jack to excel.

A polite young man who always shows his gratitude to friends and family 

who come to watch his play.

He has built relationships with other athletes in the area through his club sports and it is fun to see school rivalries fall aside in the sake of friendship.

The oldest of Gus's grandchildren, he leads the pack into the next phase of life, planning for college, leaving home and all that jazz.

It's going to be fun to see the places he goes.

In the meantime, there is another half of the basketball season left...

Go Cardinals!

Girls basketball

Saturday I watched 3rd & 4th grade girls play basketball, today I watched 6th & 7th graders play and then I stuck around for the 8th grade game.  It was really interesting to see the difference in skill level in each game as the girls got older.

I enjoyed them all.  What I love about the younger girls is the pure joy on their faces as they run and dribble and shoot.  It seems like the older the girls, the less of that unabashed joy.  

Great niece Ruby is #21.

She's the youngest ball player in the family, for now.

Ruby is #4 out of 6 kids in her family.

She is the master of manipulation and can really turn on the charm.

I enjoy Ruby so much, she's very outgoing and quick to laugh.

I'm going to enjoy watching her grow up 

and it looks like I'll be on the bleachers watching her play ball.

I hope she keeps having fun and smiling.