Tonight was our last time watching a Crabtree boy play Orange lacrosse. For the last 5 years, we’ve cheered on Joshua and/or Gray through countless home games and trekked to many away games too. Spring has been focused around lacrosse, with sometimes 3 games in a week. We’ve managed volunteers, run the scoreboard, manned the concession stand, and kept stats. We’ve watched them have great games and dismal games. We’ve seen the bonds they’ve shared with their teammates and coaches and spectated alongside many of our close friends and family. We’ve had lacrosse mom dinners and lacrosse dad fire pits. It has been so much fun. So many happy memories. I’m really thankful it’s part of the boys’ story and it’s sad that it’s over.
After an amazing win a few nights ago in round 3 of the state playoffs, against their co-conference champion Seaforth, we knew the next game would be in the Outer Banks. I debated quite a bit about whether to pull everything together to go, knowing Matt couldn’t get away from work, and in the end, Mama and Daddy decided they really wanted to be there and we made it happen. The day didn’t start well, as their car died on the highway on the way to our house and we got a much later start, but we were walking in the stadium as the national anthem played, so it all worked out. Unfortunately, the game didn’t go so well. Gray had two goals and an assist the last game, but his shots didn’t go this time and the whole team was sloppy and made many mistakes. It’s not the way you want to go out. But boy did they make some memories. They had some time at on the beach at Jockey’s Ridge before the game, then got stuck in the sand on the bus, including a stuck bus door, and had to get towed. After the game, they had pizza on the beach at sunset. It’s hard to lose and it’s hard when things are over, especially trying to wrap your mind around how your chubby cheeked, bald, toothless toddler became this grown guy about to go to college, but trying to stay focus on all the wonderful memories and the blessing it has been to be a part of this team.
The last few weeks have been crazy. Matt decided to save money by doing the trim work on the house himself, so it’s been nonstop work for him. His dad has helped and Joshua helped for a few days on his first week home, but now he is working his internship at the DOT in Raleigh and gone from 6:45 to 5 every day. And then I have helped, going over on the weekends with him or after work. I’m not very skilled but I’ve learned a lot and I don’t mind the work, it’s just that we have been on the go all day every day for as long as I can remember now, and that wears on you, especially in the midst of big things like your kid graduating and preparing for an Africa trip and getting ready for a move.
Mother’s Day was an exception. Matt was working and after church, the kids all kind of scattered and I just had time at home to clean and catch up on things around the house. I didn’t take any pictures, but it was a nice day. We ended by watching The Middle and ordering pizza.
Some other happenings over the last 6 weeks:
Gray’s senior night! I can hardly remember the details anymore, but we had lots of family there, plus old friends and church friends. More than 25 people were there for Gray, which was so nice. He scored some goals and also got to play defense for fun. It was a good night.
We also watched Joshua finish up his season with a super exciting and amazing win to go to the conference championship. We made two trips out to Pfeiffer in Misenheimer, NC to cheer him on the last game was bleak (common theme here lately), but it was a great season and he loved it so much. We are happy to have him home, and it’s been a mostly smooth transition, though Julia went from feeling like he was a fun uncle visiting to feeling like he was an annoying brother who forgot how to function in our family.
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