Spring Break stories!

When this Spring Break adventure was suggested there were 3 goals in mind:

#1 - see family

#2 - tour some universities

#3 - show John-Jefferson a little more of this country

Well we accomplished our goals!

Here are some of the highlights:

Perhaps one of the most poignant moments of the trip was our visit with Grammy in Mississippi, who moved into an assisted living facility just over one year ago (right before COVID hit!). At 96 years old, she is amazingly alert and agile and seemed beyond happy to get to see her great-grandsons! We feel blessed to have been able to spend a morning visiting with her.

We were also thrilled to spend some time with Yaya & Papa - we enjoyed playing outside until dusk and getting caught up on life and getting in plenty of hugs! Because our school vacations did not line up, we didn't get a lot of time with our Mississippi cousins; however it was delightful to be a part of their every-day, non-vacation lives for just a couple of days. We caught a soccer game, shared Sunday dinner and met Uncle Taylor at work on Monday for a campus tour...

...which kicked off a really fun series of campus visits!

As a high school Junior, Hamp is starting to think about what he'll do after graduation. So far he is not only college bound, but interested in the southern states. Our road trip provided us with a few stops at some pretty prestigious places - including USM (Southern Miss), Miss State, Ga Tech, Ga State, UGA, Clemson, and of course Furman. Whether the appeal is family heritage, warmer weather, big college football or just beautiful campuses, I can't really blame him for feeling drawn to any of these schools!

While family visits and future plans were the driving force behind our trip, the added bonus was being able to be true tourists in familiar cities. We took the time to enjoy live jazz in Jackson Square and Bourbon Street in New Orleans and loved the National WWII museum. In Atlanta we rode electric scooters all through downtown and were amazed by the Georgia Aquarium. But perhaps the best way to experience the south is through the food - from the fast food staples like Waffle House & Chick-Fil-A, to great BBQ (with all the yummy sides!) and Nellie's Southern Kitchen in Belmont, NC. 

I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to John-Jefferson's family for taking care of our accommodations on the road! We stayed with Hyatt in NO, ATL and Greenville and were so comfortable - even a little spoiled! - and well located. Thank you Duval & Focheux families...

Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed just getting to spend time with these 3 guys (even though March Madness games stole their attention for part of the trip!) We laughed often and got along easily and travelled well together and their enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunities they had made the whole trip worthwhile. 

So the best part for me? These smiles. That and the smell of the south in springtime.

Spring Break travel map!

a not-so-quiet week

We took full advantage of all Meeker Schools had to offer this week...

The high school student council sponsors "Wacko Week" - a 3rd quarter tradition created merely to cure the winter doldrums by getting the kids (and staff!) to dress up and do crazy things. 

So we went all out for 80's dress-up day:

Muffy and the twins, Biff & Blaine

It was also a time to showcase the middle and high school bands - which meant Sam's time to shine!

He has switched to the flute (from trombone) and loves it, even getting to play up with the HS band.

I allowed Hamp & John-Jefferson to play hooky one day this week for a truly noble cause:

a blue-bird ski day!

This crew went mid-week to Sunlight and had the best day ever - not a lot of photos but plenty of great stories and sore legs!

And while I don't recommend playing hooky for everyone (grades & attendance must come first!) I do feel like like we took full advantage of our time this week!

a quiet weekend

With basketball over, a snowstorm moving in, and spring break around the corner... 

we found ourselves with a rare free weekend!

What happens with all that un-channelled energy when you can't go outside?

Mom takes a long drive for errands and a good cup of coffee.

Boys wrestle in the house.

Mom kicks them out to the gym for an intense game of 3-on-3 volleyball!

 

Basketball

Our basketball team valiantly finished their short but sweet season last week...

Hamp was a starting Junior Varsity player and had a great season, playing well and leading the young team to a lot of success on the court. More importantly, while he honed some skills and toned up his body (from all that running!) he did what he does best: loved his people (he is SO his father's child!) He cherished every moment on the court and in the locker room and working out with his teammates and every bus ride and fast food stop at away games and every team dinner and post-game get-together. Hamp plays not so much for the love of the game, but the love of the team.

And as long as he's loving it - I love cheering for #5!

for the record - he won this tip off! ↑

John-Jefferson went out for basketball this year - and had a great season learning a new game! He was a basketball fan before playing, but now he has personal knowledge of the game and some great experience on the court. More importantly, while he also honed some skills and toned his body (again - running!) he enjoyed being part of the team as well and made more new friends through out the traveling and the practices and the games. 

Go #13!!!

One of my favorite parts of this season was watching these 2 boys play together! Hamp proved to be a kind and encouraging leader and John-Jefferson proved to be an avid learner and good teammate.