I'm not very good at keeping up with this blog thing. Many things have happened since the last time I posted. School ended and all the kids did really well in school. Right after school let out Brandon took Quin and 6 girls to Red River for a pre-middle school trip. I think most of the girls had fun, but several were not accustomed to mountain living and playing. After that trip we had some devastating news on June 13th. Brandon's little brother Jason had died. This has been a very trying time for our family, especially for Brandon. It is so incredibly hard to understand why things happen like they do, but the one thing I have realized is that no matter what we do or say sometimes it may not necessarily change outcomes. Even though we are now in October, it hasn't become any easier. It is a daily struggle! Rest in peace Jason Seth Massey you will forever be in our hearts.
Once the memorial was over and we tried to get back to some sort of normalcy, we went up to our cabin in Red River for 4th of July. The Moore's and Ross' also came and we decorated a float and had a really good time. The kids love this annual tradition! Another big event this summer was my cousin Justin Junell's wedding. He and his bride Ashley got married on August 6th. After the wedding was over, Brandon and I had to focus on Zoo-La-Palooza which he and I co-chaired. It was a great success and such a fun party! School started the next week and we transitioned, not very gracefully, into the back to school routine. Quin started middle school, Gentry is in 4th grade, and Grayler is in 2nd. They looked so cute on the first day of school!
Gentry played the first session of volleyball in September and just finished up yesterday. We ended our season with a record of 3-5, which is a little tough to swallow since we used to be the undefeated and most desired team to beat. Having such a competitive spirit makes that really tough on me since I am the coach. My biggest fear is that I will hold the team back from getting better. We have had new girls off and on and I consistently have a full team, which is definitely a challenge. All the girls have consistently improved and I am very proud of them. Gentry gets very frustrated with herself, the team, and especially ME! She is a great player and I love watching her make those awesome plays! We will start session 2 in a couple of weeks, so hopefully we will get to work more on our plays and teamwork.
Right after school started the girls had eye appointments and Gentry had to get glasses, which she was absolutely thrilled about. She looks very sassy!
Grayler finished up his football yesterday and they had a great season. Rob Leathers and Brad Burks are the coaches for those boys, with the help of many other dads, including Brandon. Grayler has done really well and I absolutely love watching him play. He scored countless touchdowns this season which sure gives me a sense of pride! He is super fast and a really good athlete.
Quin has also had a busy first 6 weeks of school. She is Pre AP math and English and middle school has truly been an adjustment for her and us. Her grades were great and we were very proud of her. She has started going to Epicenter at our church and really enjoys that. AHS homecoming came and went and Brandon and I made her a mum, which I thought turned out really well.
She then was asked to attend the Randall Homecoming with a friend from church and a teacher's son that we know. It was really fun for her to get to go and she really enjoyed it.
It has definitely been a fast and furious 4 1/2 months. We celebrated many birthdays, including Brandon's brother Justin's surprise zombie party last night. It was really nice spending time with him and his family. Quin's 12th birthday is Tuesday and we anticipate a great birthday and year for her!
