March Madness - Jensen Style

Seem like every month goes by faster and faster, but there is no doubt that this March was one of the craziest of all time.  Yes, it marks the end of College Basketball season, dubbed March Madness, and for the Jensen house it was just that.  Things started off with business trips for both of us, Mike to Baltimore for his 1st company meeting with r2i and Steph to California with Another Source.  Our trips actually overlapped a bit and we were lucky to have the grandparents available to get the kids to/from school.  Next on tap was Steph’s birthday weekend with lots of friends and family, including a surprise visit from our good friend Leighellen.  The next couple weekends were packed full of School fundraisers, Friends Birthday parties, and basketball tournaments.  Oh, actually the month started with a basketball tournament too...and Oh, it was non-stop basketball nearly every day!!  Maddie had the amazing opportunity as a 4th grader to represent her school (Hope Lutheran) on the 5/6th grade team.  With that came daily practices and/or games and a new kind of busy.  Mixed in with all of that was also a practice for Spring Soccer, and getting Girls Softball kicked off.  We knew heading into it, that it was going to be packed, but as it is all past us now, looking back we realize it was nutty!  But in the end...it was totally worth it!  

Maddie was coming off another great season with the local YMCA and we could tell that she really enjoyed playing basketball, so we she asked if she could play on the school team we wanted to encourage her to keep going.  She, along with 3 other 4th graders joined the 5/6th grade team and did an awesome job.  They contributed, were great teammates, and most of all had a great time.  At the end of year tournament we were so proud when Maddie was recognized most for her attitude and her smile.  She is one happy kid, and does everything with a smile...win or lose, basket or no basket, she just loves playing the game.  We are looking forward to many more years in the bleachers, cheering her and her friends on...and next year we will be a little more prepared for the Madness that comes in March.

Another Successful Basketball Season

It seemed like we just got started, but today marked the end to another successful basketball season for Maddie.  Along with her buddy, Mikayla, they were the M&M's.  Here is a picture of them after their big Win today.

It was great to see how much the girls improved this year...at the same time, they had no problem scoring baskets.  One game we counted nearly 40 baskets made!  Kinda crazy for 9-10 year olds.  Maddie got off to a slow start in December when she wasnt feeling too great, but that barely held her back.  She hustled all the time, was aggressive, learned to pass more (she likes to shoot), and most of all had a smile on her face.  Something that even her coach pointed out today when handing out trophies.  Speaking of aggressive, she even got a little experience going up against some girls that like to "mix it up" - and she hung tough!

We are super proud of her and her commitment to the game.  We love her spirit and desire to get better.  Tough to teach that kind of stuff.

What a game!

Well, have to start by recaping the wild Seahawks game. What a roller coaster ride of a game. Just when we thought it was under control after scoring a touchdown, we give a 90+ yard kickoff return. Then we get the safety, and take the lead. Then the last 2 minues caped by the mis handled hold on the FG. In the end, not sure if we deserved to win this one, but hey, thats football. You never know, maybe after a year of problems, luck is finally turning our way. Next game is either next week at New Orleans or at Chicago.

The other story from today is the continued crazy weather. It has been windy and rainy all day and, yes, the lights have been flickering. We are heading over to my parents today for dinner, and the last time, the power went out after dessert. Maybe it's a sign...no more family dinners at the Jensen house.

Finally, in my effort to try and excercise more, I headed to the "Y" today. They have these really cool eliptical trainers with built in TVs...pretty cool. Watched the Pats-Jets game. Passed the time really quick. Hopefully I can get down there early in the mornings on days when there is no basketball...Kind of tough, but we'll see.