Spring also meant lots of soccer and a visit from family. But first, lots of soccer.
Reese was in the middle of her full year with her club team but Callie's team only got started once the high school season had finished. Both girls were excited for spring and the possibilities it held. For us it was another year of making sure that people had rides to practices, hotels for away games, and some kind of family time when we could all eat together. And of course there was school and work to consider.
The great thing about travel sports is that it can sometimes provide great opportunities to see people. It just so happened that when Callie had a tournament in southern Ohio in mid-April his friend Michelle from Connecticut was only a few miles away because her daughter had a basketball tournament. Michelle played soccer through college so was more than happy to drive over, chat with John, and catch some of Callie's game. Callie made it worth her while by scoring twice while she was there. We are hoping our paths will cross this way again so that we can see Hayden play basketball, but it hasn't happened yet.
Of course soccer is not the only sport going on in the spring. Both girls ran track again this year. Although they did not get to go to a lot of the meets because of their soccer commitments, they did their best to show up for their teams. Reese continued to love running with her soccer buddy, Emerson. Whenever the two of them had a meet they tried to make sure they lined up next to each other at the start and ran together as long as possible in the race. One of the best displays of their friendship came in one race when they gave each other a high five heading into the final lap as a show of support for each other. It was one of the coolest things ever.
They say April showers bring May flowers, but for us April brought a wonderful visit from GA and GU, aka Uncle Ron and Aunt Teri Lucas. It had been a while since we had seen them and so it was fantastic that they made the effort to come and see us. Sarah took off a couple of days to hang out and their first stop was a day at Keeneland during the spring meet. They started the day with lunch at the track kitchen and took photos with some of the locals.
Sarah made sure they got a picture with the iconic Keeneland clock and bet on some races. It was funny to watch the sequence of events as Ron placed his two dollar bet for his horse to win, got excited when his horse won, and then found out just how much (or how little) his two dollar bet actually paid. The rollercoaster of emotions was enjoyable and in the end everyone had a great time.
One of the main reasons GA and GU wanted to come was to see the girls playing their sports. Unfortunately the soccer schedule did not completely line up for both girls. They were able to see Callie play a game and then showed their dedication by sitting through all of Reese's track meet on a chilly evening.
Since we had a little more free time than we thought we were able to enjoy a new experience for all of us at the Kentucky Theater in downtown Lexington. A renowned organist was in town and he played for a number of silent movies from the 1930s. The main feature was "The Freshmen" and it was truly a fun night though we all agreed that one of the two shorter films was the best one of the night. The Freshmen could have used some editing, in our humble opinion. We capped off the evening with a night of sushi and ice cream, which is the perfect way to complete a great visit.
This spring also included an important milestone in Callie's life at First Presbyterian Church. She was officially confirmed and Kelly Abraham served as her mentor, which was so fitting. As we told Callie several times during the process, we are proud of how involved she is in the life of the church community and how she has been engaged in developing relationships with everyone there. Confirmation indicates that you are officially a member and there is no doubt that she is a contributing member to that community.
Toward the end of the spring soccer season we had a trip to Michigan for the whole family. Callie got invited to play up with the top team and it just so happened that her game was at the same time as Reese's game. Fortunately they were playing on fields right next to each other so we just had to keep our heads on a swivel to keep up with the action in both places. Callie played well and was happy with her performance. Reese played tough but complained that her foot was hurting. However, since they had no subs she played the whole game.
Well it turns out that Reese's foot was hurting for a reason. Although she couldn't tell you when it happened, at some point during that game she broke a bone in her foot. She was in a boot for four weeks and unfortunately had to miss her last soccer game and final track meets of the season. All in all, though, it was a pretty smooth recovery and not a bad thing that she had to take a break.
Fortunately Callie's season did not end with an injury. Instead, she and her team made it to the finals of the President's Cup tournament in Elizabethtown. Although they lost in the finals to Eastern Elite and their IV drips the team played tough and had a great time doing so. And in all honesty, most parents were happy that with the loss they would not have to figure out travel plans for Kansas City which would be the next step of that tournament. And as both soccer and school began to wind down we could start thinking about summer.
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