spring break in AZ

Over spring break, we spent a few days in Arizona with my parents.  We spent a rainy day watching the Brewers' Spring Training.

We stayed in a nice little vrbo with a private backyard.  Enough space for everyone!

We had some fun at Top Golf.

Mom and Dad had an emu for a neighbor and it tried to eat my phone!

Going to a Phoenix Suns game was definitely the highlight of the trip for Brett!

We also went bowling.

And to Organ Pizza.  The organ player takes requests from the audience and plays on a pipe organ with over 1000 keys linked to xylophones, symbols, lights, puppets and more.  It was very entertaining and the pizza was good, too!

oreo dunkers take the plunge

Team "Oreo Dunkers" participated in the Frozen 5K and Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota!  While we've done the Frozen 5K three times now, this was the first year that anyone took the plunge!  Also, we added another member to our team - my nephew Taylor!  

This was an extremely unusual year where the lake was actually not frozen but still very cold and the outside temperature was in the low 30's that morning!  Taylor, Bonnie, Lydia, and Reggie took the plunge. Bryan organized a group from work and did the plunge the day before.

We had a blast raising money for Special Olympics!

Reggie's wrestling highlights

Reggie spent the first two months of wrestling season in a cast and then doing physical therapy.  From the start, we had January 27th circled on the calendar: 9th grade individual sections.  Reggie's goal was to wrestle that day.  Reggie did all his PT homework, and I manipulated the schedule to get him into his post-op appointment a week early. He was cleared to wrestle on the 24th!  

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

Of course his stamina and strength would be lagging behind a lot of the competition; even being on the mat at all was a win.  Reggie went 3-2 and finished 4th.  The top two wrestlers move on to 9th grade state.  He's got one more year to qualify.

The next opportunity to wrestle was a team quad.  Someone didn't make weight, so Reggie unexpectedly got called up to the varsity mat.  Reggie got a varsity win only 101 days after his surgery!

The next day, Reggie wrestled in the JV SEC individual tournament. He went 3-1 to finish 2nd.  Reggie wrestled a total of 11 matches this season, with a record of 7-4!

As an 8th grader, this was the last year Reggie would be eligible to wrestle in the youth tournaments advancing to NYWA State, which he has competed in every year since 2nd grade (except 2020 and 2021 due to Covid).  But by February we had learned Reggie would need a second ankle surgery.  In order to have the best outcome and a shot at playing baseball, we decided to schedule the surgery right after the high school wrestling season.

Brett's basketball highlights

Brett's favorite sport is basketball so he plays in two leagues.  He plays with our city youth rec league and with the Special Olympics.  I really wish the Minnesota State High School league would add adapted basketball so he could play through the high school.  The Special Olympics Minnesota unified schools program has started teams in some high schools, but unfortunately not Woodbury.

In our city league, Brett's team secured 3rd place in their bracket. The Blazing Stars clinched 1st place at the regional tournament, which led to them competing in a more challenging bracket at the State level, where they achieved 3rd place.

Bryan has taken on coaching duties for all three sports that Brett participates in with the Blazing Stars, deepening his involvement in the Special Olympics community. Our affection for the Special Olympics continues to grow!