Soccer Update

Owen's soccer season is off to a soggy start. We've appreciated the much needed recent rain and snow, but all that water has made for a stop and start spring soccer season. Owen is really enjoying playing for the Carolina Football Club (Carolina FC on their car magnets around town). He's getting some excellent coaching and is playing very well. Two of their games have been rained out, but the results of the other three were 1 loss, 1 tie, and 1 win (they've improved every time). At the last game Owen had two goals. He really gives his all on the field so much so that he ended up flat on his face after scoring one goal because he lost his balance - good thing he doesn't play soccer with his glasses on! He plays his games at the MeSA fields just over the line in Greenville County. It's really not far from our house at all. The game times vary from week to week, but if you want to see him some Saturday, let me know and I'll get you the game time.

Winterguard Update

There are just a few more opportunities to see Sara perform with the Spin Club this season. They have had a terrific year - they placed first at a competition at Easley High School in January; third at a competition at Volunteer High School in Church Hill, Tennessee in February, and first again at a competition at Blue Ridge High School in February. The other two guards from Byrnes are also outstanding (Indigo, the varsity group is nationally ranked). Anyway, here are the remaining times you can catch Sara in action.
Saturday, March 21 - all day competition being held on the Byrnes campus. She is scheduled to perform at 1:10. The other Byrnes guard will perform later in the day (after 5:00). Admission is $5 and you get to see lots of great winterguard groups and drumlines from across the Southeast. You're free to come and go as you please so you're not committed to a full day...
Thursday, March 26 - dinner and three performances. As a fundraiser, the winterguard is hosting a spaghetti dinner (salad, spaghetti, bread, beverage, and dessert) followed by performances by all three groups (Spin Club, JV, and Indigo) at the Byrnes Freshman Academy (OLD D.R. HILL) at 6:30 PM. Admission is $10.
Saturday, March 28 - Championships at Western Carolina University. More on this later.

More snow

We got a wonderful surprise this year with a beautiful March snow!! Snow is pretty rare around here. Sure, we get a dusting every once in a while, but it never amounts to much. It's usually not even enough to play in, or worse yet, we get an ice storm which is no fun at all. BUT, this time we got about 4 inches which is plenty to play in. The neighborhood was beautiful, school was closed for two days (woo-hoo) and Daniel went into work later than usual so he could play too!!

Fun in the snow

Sara had a Winterguard Competition in Church Hill, Tennessee this weekend. (Spin Club took 3rd place in their division.) It was about a 3 hour drive so we decided to spend the night after the competition was over. We awoke Sunday morning to a Winter wonderland.

Before and After

Sara is getting braces this week. Her orthodontist says she'll probably have them for about 2 years and that it shouldn't be too difficult or too painful (except for our checkbook) to align her teeth. So here's the before picture. I'll add the after picture on Thursday (if she feels up to it). She has been good about it so far - no complaining or anything. She knows it's the right thing to do and she's ready to do it. She's a beautiful girl with or without braces.

I see it as one more sign that I'm about to be the mother of a teenager!

Bad Blogger

Okay, it's now February and I haven't written a thing since Christmas. Bad Blogger, I know. So let me catch you up on what went on with the Camps during January.

• We rang in the new year at home.
• I had a stomach bug, but thankfully no one else got it.
• We finished up the first semester at school.
• We had a snow day with a microscopic amount of snow, but we got to watch the inauguration so it wasn't all bad.
• I got a student teacher. Sara started taking French and Family Consumer Science (Home Ec). Nothing changed for Owen at school.
• Sara's Upward basketball games started. She still loves the competition, but sometimes has to miss when she has a Winterguard show.
• Sara had a Winterguard Preview show at Byrnes. ALL the grandparents came out to see her. She felt so special.
• Sara had her first CIPA Winterguard show. All three Byrnes units did excellently. They looked pretty and did a fabulous job!
• Owen signed up for CFC spring soccer. Practices begin this week. Games begin soon.
• Daniel is playing basketball on Monday nights with HopePoint.

Basically we are booked Monday-Thursday with some sort of practice or game and Saturdays with games and shows. That's why I've not been blogging like I should. Well, that and the addictive thing that is facebook which seems to draw me in whenever I have a moment on the computer. Hopefully, I'll do better in February and even post some pictures of all this chaos.

Christmas with the Hollis crew

Friday was the last gasp of Christmas at our house. Jon and his family came over for lasagna, wii, and presents. Sara and Jenna colored and played with their American girl dolls while all the boys played with the Wii. Jeri and I visited and tried unsuccessfully to get little Kara to take a nap. I can't blame her for not wanting to go to sleep. I have trouble falling asleep in someone else's house too! So, that's it - Christmas for 2008. Hope you had a good one (or 5) too!