Nelson Family Blog: Basketball Trips and catching up

Well, we are a week into March, and I haven fallen behind on blogging again. Whoops. We have been really busy with basketball practices and games, weekend trips, and just general busyness.

A few weekends ago was the Weiner Dog Races at the Stampede Game. John won some free tickets through a radio station, so we went. It was really fun, and the kids really got into the races. The Polzins were also at the game, so the kids spent some time sitting with them as well.

Two weekends ago was the Nebraska Basketball Tournament. We knew Emma wasn't going to play much at all, so John and I decided not to make the 4 hour drive, but Emma really wanted to go, so she tagged along with the Hinners. She had a really good time hanging with her friends, swimming in the pool, and just having an outing without mom and dad around. She did get to play a little bit in one game when they were down by a lot, and it sounds like she enjoyed it.

Elliott went and spent 3 nights at Grandma and Grandpa's house while Emma was in Nebraska. He got spoiled and had a great time. On Friday evening, since we were kidless, John and I had a date night at Carnaval. We hadn't been there in a long time, but it was really good and we enjoyed ourselves. After the meal, we headed home and enjoyed some drinks and a movie and a quiet evening. It was really nice.

On Saturday, John, Elliott, and Jim went ice fishing. They had a good time. I enjoyed an empty house and did some cleaning, laundry, and went to the gym. Emma got home around 7:30pm, and we got everyone settled back at home, and ready for church the next day. It was one heck of a weekend.

This past week was pretty busy as well. The kids had dress up days every day for school. They had fun dressing up. Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, and I had to help serve the supper meal. So, we spent most of the evening at church. On Friday evening, we went to First Friday downtown and took the kids to the Kirby Science Center for free. They had fun running around and playing with the new items we hadn't seen since the last time we were there. After they were played out, we checked out the Visual Arts center and looked at some paintings and art. They also were giving away free cake, so the kids were all over that.

We left the Washington Pavillion around 7:00pm, and we hadn't eaten supper yet, so the kids were starving. We ended up taking them to Everest, which is an Indian Restaurant. The kids loved it. We tried a few new items, and then ordered Tika Masala and Mango Chicken, along with some Naan bread. It was delicious. I think Elliott ate more than John and I did.

On Saturday, we left nice and early to get to Watertown by 9:00 am. The GPLHS Basketball Tournament was happening. Emma was really excited for the tournament, and she got to play in just about every game. My mom and dad also came to town to watch her play, and we all had a really good time watching the tournament. Emma didn't score any points, but she had some great rebounds and played really good defense. She has come a long way this year with her basketball skills, and I can't wait to watch her continue to grow and improve.

After the games were over, we checked into our hotel. We decided to spend the night in Watertown with my parents. The roads were a little crappy, and we just decided to make a fun weekend out of it. We visited a Brewery called Dempsey's which was really good, and then we ate supper at a steakhouse, which also was good. After supper, we swam with the kids for a while, and then while the two very tired kids watched TV, we played some sheepshead and enjoyed just visiting.

Yesterday, we started with a good breakfast at the hotel, and then the kids did some more swimming. We left Watertown around noon, and then finally got home and unpacked. It was another really busy weekend, and I would love to catch our breath someday. Thankfully, I had today off, so I am able to play catch up at home and ease my way into the workweek.

This next week is looking a little less busy, which is nice because in 12 days we fly to Arizonia, and we need to start planning things and slowly packing things soon. It will be here before we know it. The kids are so excited for our trip (I am too!)

This Friday, is the parent-player game at Bethel. It is what it sounds like, the parents play against the kids. I am going to play for us, and then I am going to meet up with John and his co-workers for his work holiday party. Saturday is pretty open, so that will be a good day to get some things done before we really have to start focusing on our trip.