Go Longhorns!!!

We signed Michael up for basketball this season. He plays in the Upwards program (which for all of you Utahns reading this, is like Junior Jazz). His team (the Longhorns) is made up of both first and second graders. He loves it!!! They have one practice a week (on Tuesday) and one game a week (on Saturday). He tells us that those are his favorite days of the week. I have loved watching him. I love to see his excitement. I think my favorite part is at the beginning when they introduce the players to the crowd and they run across the court to their bench. They are so darn cute! This last week we had the cheerleaders at the game. Some of the players were not sure what the cheerleaders were all about.



Michael's skills have really improved. He is a great defender, and is getting really good at handling the ball. (He is the one with the ball in the second picture here.)



I think another one of my favorite parts is watching him celebrate after each basket his team makes (he jumps up with his arms in the air, and then kind of gallops down to the other end of the court). Oh . . . I wish you could all come to a game and see how cute they are.

This last game was pretty awesome! He made his first shot during a game (he actually made two). [Michael wanted me to add that one of the shots he made was "nothin' but net" and would have been a three-pointer if they had three-pointers in Upwards.] He was sooooooo excited, and we were so proud of him. (I was reminded that I was pregnant when I got teary-eyed after his basket -- a little emotional.) Of course I only got a video of the one when the ball didn't go in . . . but you can imagine.