Here's the story

Today's story begins here, when we won the Far West Regionals....actually, it starts long before this -when little girls watch big girls play basketball, and they pick up balls and shoot so far over their little heads that you know the ball will never get there, but they keep trying, and practicing, and playing with their families and friends and Saturday Morning basketball, and Gus Macker, and AAU, and the Y league and before you know it, your little girls bring home Varsity uniforms...

SOOO... I posted before a picture of the girls loading onto the bus on Thursday afternoon...WOW! It's already been a week of living this dream...
And now it's time for the fans to lock and load...Friday morning for our crew...writing on the windows, snacks in the cars, Maroon & Gold attire is packed...

We meet at the Heil's house...BFF's FOR CCS... we had to keep to short words we could spell... Kathy's driving Cheryl & her vanload...

Eric has boys, Willowe & I....I think he's smiling because he doesn't know yet....

I reallllly like this picture ... Just captures the joy we all felt to be taking this trip.... Oh, well, yeah. I DID take it when we stopped to eat at the truck stop, but we were happy before that, too!!

We took I-86 across the state of NY while many others went up to I-90. We really didn't see too many people we knew on our trip across, but then we came upon a van with Gold writing on the back window...'I think it is the Beckerink's'...so beeped and waved and drove on by... later she related that she had been reading and praying for the blessing of the community and the players and her eyes were closed in prayer when her husband bumped her to look!!!That's us ...she made our picture as we drove on by!! See you on the other end, Erin & Mike!!

Arriving at our hotel, Kathy demonstrates something, though I'm not sure what.... We decide to go to the Macaroni Grill for supper and when we walk in, one of the basketball teams is just finishing up on a big table, so we waited for it...and hammed it up...I'm not a missing mom!!

We had to keep moving the boys around to keep them from chewing on the railings...boys can get SOOO hungry!

Kathy and I were messing around trying to take our own picture with my camera when the lady across from us got up and took one for us.... THANKS!! I try to remember to do that for other people myself...you know that whole missing mom mentality....

they look like they are up to something, but I don't remember anything bad happening, so I think it was OK....

At the table there are crayons and paper on the tables to color and write on... good entertainment for the kids...although I DID notice that Cheryl had quite a bit of drawing around her plate...

After following each other across the state all day, Kathy and Eric were happy to sit together again.....

I don't know that anyone slept that well the night before because of all the excitement in the air, so we didn't get too wild that night....

THE GAME IS AT 9AM and what time are YOU getting up???

Scott got in around 4am, so he just got a nice nap before it was time for a shower, breakfast and to hit the road.

WOOHOOO!!! Here's our team warming up for the game!!! Are we more excited than words!?! Party City has NO MORE maroon and gold beads. Last week I bought over 100 strings...this week we passed out 250+ strands of SPIRIT BEADS!!!

Time to announce the players....#10 senior, Mallory Deuink

#20 senior, Kailyn Bentley

#22 senior, Sydney Bennink

#32 senior, Jenn Rhodes

#40 senior, Andrea Lictus....

One last time together.... Time to Play Ball~~

Andrea checks everyone before the jump....

We watch the action. Coleman Catholic is the team that beat Sherman last year....we've heard this will be the tougher of the 2 games we will have to win to be NY State champions!! And they weren't kidding...Defense is VERY TOUGH....and it is what wins the game....

A few time outs to work on the strategy.... It is into the 4th quarter before we are able to tie up the game....

Scoreboards don't lie.... 14 seconds left and we are ahead....at times we have been behind by 12..

Here's the end of the game....the win that puts us into the final battle for State Champs...we chipped away at their lead until we were able to turn it all around....

We wait for the presentations and clap for the other team and their players, other people's daughters...you don't get this far on luck or looks...it's a hard fought battle, that only one team can win....finally, finally it is our turn... My mom has chose not to make this road trip, but when we call her after the game, which she has been listening to on the radio, she announces that they are leaving at 3 and will be here tomorrow for the finals...we find out that many others do the same thing...

The fans are CRAZY and the noise is deafening...and we like it that way. :0)

There is time later to pose for pictures.... with MOM.. missing mom #28

One with Papa.... Bert brought us this name from Russia....

One with Cherrie but excited people keep dashing past...
No one can stand still...we are too pumped up

A hug from Syd as Grandpa Lictus smiles behind.... time to head to the locker room and get ready for tomorrow...

The moms and kids head out for a bite to eat, while Scott & Eric stay behind with quite a few others to watch the next game...the winner is the team we will play tomorrow at noon....

Nothing like a good diner meal to keep you busy...

Since our hotel didn't have an indoor pool, they have an agreement with a rec center and we could go there and blow off a little of the steam from hours in the car and sitting on bleachers ...

Several soggy but happy kids....there is a water slide on the far end of this pool...to the left is a lap pool and to the right a very shallow wading area for little swimmers...

Waiting in line for the slide...I think even Karly was able to slide down it...of course, that would be right up her alley...

Rose puddled around in the middlish area

Willowe was the designated swimmer to keep track...where'd all these kids COME FROM>?

Then , thanks to Jordan, one of my bloggy friends who lives in this area, we found a great local yarn shop. You know, we need some for our weekend next week - for our secret project. But finding the shop was the easy part. How will we ever decide what color??

Libby is a big help. Or maybe it just confuses us....oh, I can't make up my mind. I DO have a thing for Maroon and Gold, you know!

A friend of the cashier is happy to wind our yarn for us and it proves to entertain the girls for awhile. They are full of questions and she patiently answers each of them.

Cheryl & I choose some new needles - size 15 the instructions say...

We are VERY happy that Willowe is buying some sock yarn, and we are putting in orders right now. I have called her several times this week to see if my socks are done yet. I think she might be slacking a bit on mine and knitting her own first. Socks go onto my TRY IT THIS YEAR list.

While a big crowd goes with the team to Macaroni Grill, we opt to take this big group of kids to FUDDRUCKERS...maybe if we hadn't eaten there last night...We walk Willowe over to eat with her Scott and the team and check in with Andrea - do you need anything?? Gatorade is ordered up and we swing back with it after everyone is done eating and back in their area.

Game Time on Sunday is NOON...but with a couple of preacher in our crowd, a quick service has been requested. Erin has been a blessing to this team, offering to pray with them before the playoffs and sending them encouraging scripture and emails.

Here's Andrea talking to some of those Radio-listening people who couldn't stand it another day!

Thanks for coming Uncle Larry, Aunt Mary, Mom, Lori & Kyle! It's a little chilly and rain threatens, but we won't be discouraged. The cars arrive and we start to gather on the side of the parking lot - players-coaches-parents-family-friends.

Erin opens up up with a song and some scripture -

Everyone feels the power as we gather there...

when it is time for the players to leave, we all gather around and lay hands on them and the coaches and pray for protection, for strength, to play our best and to BELIEVE.

The players are admitted to the building, but we stay a few more minutes for some words from Jackie..Phillipians 4:13...Erin asks for one last song and Lois request GOD IS SO GOOD...HE'S SO GOOD TO US.
When we go into the building for the second day..perhaps it has shrunk, because the bleachers seem even more full that yesterday..

There Lois in the left corner...still thinking about God Is So Good..

And POSTERS!! One or more of the newspaper articles commented on the fact that we had a huge crowd and no less than 28 posters!

The kid section is decked out and Dan and Andrew are even interviewed because they are wearing our special home-made gold sparkle pants- a tradition in our house for 4 years or more

Time to warm up the team...Who's got the beat? The PIRATE BEAT! It goes...(clappity, clap, clap..pretty tricky, really..)

The Captains meet in the middle for some rules and a hand shake.

The National Anthem is played and it's time...

Check the girls before the jump. This is when you should jump over to the previous post of the GOOD GOOD NIGHT...it was AWESOME!!!!

We started out on fire and never let them catch it. Control the game. Two teams of Lady Pirates, only one will be victorious.

All of our girls, eleven in all, got playing time on the floor, for the State title. Each girl will have that memory.

Sometimes it just comes down to foul shots. If you have a kid, practice foul shots. over and over and over.

A few more foul shots and we'll be set...

THE END OF THE GAME AND THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IS OURS!!!




Receiving awards - each girl.

They announce the all-star tourney team...Jenn Rhodes from Clymer and the MVP - ANDREA LICTUS!!! Knock me over with a feather. I can't take a picture, I'm jumping and crying and WOOHOOing!!

And before the game - I helped Willowe with the face paint. We painted anyone that wanted from a table in the lobby. Pastor Erin said "BELIEVE" - not easy to paint that on a cheek that can't stop smiling.

Andrea & Dani - hugging after the last game they'll play together.

Newspaper interviews...

Celebrating and planning...

The trophy at our house - SWEET!

So, what did YOU do this weekend???