TG 2013

This year Thanksgiving was a toss up. My whole family thought that they might come down to Vegas but a week before, they called it off. I wasn't feeling 100% yet after having Duncan so my family was thoughtful and said they would stay in Utah. It wasn't until after Thanksgiving weekend that my infection went away and not til December did my incision pain go away. Grandma Ivie said it best when she said I wasn't in my twenties anymore having babies. Very wise.

So without a place to go for TG, Kevin and Dianna asked us to come out to Logandale to be with them. We were very happy to spend the day with them. They saved us from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches plus we love being with them. We had really yummy food. This was Di's first time hosting TG by herself and she nailed it! Turkey was moist, had all the sides, and even had cute mason jars and festive straws to drink from. This is the only picture that was taken before the dinner. The food smelled too good to mess around with photos.

That day the boys played basketball, Lucy and Demsie made a huge chalk mess, and Di kept me company while I fed the baby. 

Jensen has proven to be a true Walker. He has discovered basketball thanks to his Daddy showing him Space Jam. He shot hoops with Lucas all weekend.

On Friday. we went to the movies. Di offered to take the younger kids to Frozen while the other adults and older kids went to Catching Fire. Later that night we became "Team Peta" fans by watching Josh Hutcherson on SNL lip-synching to a 80's song. We watched it multiple times.

Saturday, hung over from multiple days of yummy turkey, we decided to be active and headed to Overton to play tennis. There were some good match ups but the best was Dianna and Lucas. A match that will go down in history. Later that night Quincy and Kevin played in the alumni game at the high school. Quincy was voted the unofficial MVP of the team (and not by his wife). That's my hubby!

The Line Judge - a job given to Jensen so he would stay off the court.

Duncan enjoyed his first TG and had his first sleepover at the cousins.

Hulk and Jasmine

I feel like every post I write starts off with its been awhile and this time of course is no different. I wanted to catch up on what has been going on with the family. For the month of October this year I wanted to be a fun mom but it just didn't happen. With being in the last month of my pregnancy fun seemed like a lost cause. Jensen's school had a trunk or treat two weeks before Halloween. I felt sick that night so we stayed home. We did venture out to see Dantley play in the Scarlet and Gray scrimmage at the Thomas and Mack, but that seemed to do me in and I couldn't even walk for a few days after. So I have to say I was pretty lame this Halloween season. We didn't even carve the pumpkins on our porch. Totally lame I know. I did have a surge of energy the day before Halloween and we made it to our ward's trunk or treat. I even made chili for the event. Quincy showed me just how much he loved me by wearing a milk man costume with me being a house wife. (Quincy said he is picking next year, could be trouble). The kids chose their costumes this year. Lucy has known that she wanted to be Jasmine for quite some time. Jensen had many options but settled on the Hulk. On Halloween, Lucy got to wear her costume to preschool while Jensen was not able to wear his to school at all. Here are some pictures of our October. Little did we know that an unexpected Trick or Treater would show up on Halloween. More on that in the next post.

 

 Dantley playing at the T&M.
 

We stuck around after to have all the players sign posters. Quincy made me laugh by making sure that they were hung up in the kid's rooms.

Quincy got a little star struck with Anderson Hunt who was the MVP of the final four in 1990.

 

 

Jensen is starting to have his love of the game from his Daddy. He cheered for the Cardinals even though we clothe him in Red Sox gear. I think we have another sports fan in the home.

 

 

The Hulk and Jasmine

 

 

Trunk or Treat

 

 

 

Lucy takes pictures with my camera all the time. This is one of my favorite selfies that she has done.

 

 

 

 

U-N-L-V Rebels!

Last week we hit the Scarlet and Gray Scrimmage at the Thomas and Mack. We were due for an outing as a family and it was a hit. Pregame they had a bounce house and other things for the kids to do. Jensen was all over that. He would get kicked out and would go right back in. Since Lucy prefers to bounce by herself she just hung out with her cool parents.

 

Both kids were really afraid of the giant rebel that was walking around. After pointing out that other kids were getting their picture taken with him Lucy finally agreed to have a photo taken. On one condition, that I hold her. When I tried to get Jensen in the shot he totally ran away. There was no talking him into a picture.

 Kev and his boys and Mike Kanet and his girls showed up to join in the fun. All the other wifers some how got a free pass from the game. What?

 Jensen finally got close to one of the walking balloon men. He still wouldn't go in front of the Rebel though. Christmas card shot blown.

 

 

Since the whole event was open to the public we could sit anywhere we wanted to. We took up a whole row and let the kids enjoy moving from seat to seat. 

 

These two boys were crazy men. Laughing, screaming, and even dancing during the whole program. 

 The night consisted of player introductions, dunk contest, the Legends game, and then the UNLV team scrimmage. Looks like we are going to have a good team this year.

 

We are so glad Mike came prepared with his ipad for the kids to play with or we would have been out of there sooner. Let's just say Ellie was a popular girl, wherever she went two would follow.

We did make it to the end of the game. Lucy decided to wave good-bye to everyone while we were getting ready to leave. Maybe she can be a UNLV usher someday. Earlier when I had asked her if she wanted to be a cheerleader or a basketball player, she said basketball player. She made her parents smile.

 

It's crazy to think that Dantley will be down on the court next year.

We can't wait to support him!

Farewell Dantley

Last Sunday we said farewell to our nephew/cousin Dantley. He left on Wednesday (August 3rd) into the MTC to serve a two year mission. He isn't quite nineteen yet but was allowed to go early since he has a scholarship waiting for him.

I sure have enjoyed watching this kid grow up. When I came into the family he was twelve and I was just a little taller than him. That's when the brothers let me play basketball with them since I was a semi equal match-up. I also will never let Dantley forget that Quincy and I beat him and one of his friend in hoops back then. Now he towers over me and I don't dare get worked by him on the court. It would not be good for my ego.

I am so grateful for Dantley and his choice to serve and put the Lord first before basketball in his life. When he was heading to the temple to get his endowments out he got a call from Dave Rice the UNLV coach. He asked him if he wanted to put his mission off for a year and play ball this fall. Dantley told him no and that he would see him when he got back. What a wonderful example he is to Jensen and all of his other cousins.

These two are more like brothers than Uncle and Nephew.

The Walkers and Haworths that came to say good-bye.

These two cousins showed up in their matching dresses. Di and I didn't even plan it, we're just that good. They looked so cute in all their ruffles running around the gym at the luncheon after.

After the luncheon and all the tables were cleared, the boys couldn't help themselves shoot around with Dantley one last time. I have to say the brothers got worked by Dantley in the three point shoot out. That wasn't too good on their egos either.

They even kept playing when everyone turned the lights out on them. They just wanted to get as much in as they could. And who can blame them?

Our July 4th!

For our 4th of July holiday we headed an hour and a half north to a small town called Alamo, NV. Why there you may ask? No, it wasn't for shakes at R place this time. Quincy actually got this one started when he heard that there was going to be a three-on-three basketball tournament held in their local high school gym. He formed a team with his brother Kevin and his nephew Dantley. They needed a fourth player. Greg his older brother said he was retired. Kyle and Darren are out of state. So they had to look outside the family. Dianna mentioned that Dantley should ask his UNLV buddy Wink Adams to play with them. He did and Wink was in!

Alamo did have a parade to start the holiday off. To be honest I was busy taking pictures for a couple of minutes and the parade was over.

Demsie and Lucy eating the candy from the parade.

After the parade we went to a little carnival that they had there. It was starting to get hot so we headed to the gym to watch the 3-point contest and tournament.

Dantley won the 3-point contest with 19 in the first round and 23 in the second in one minute. He is so fun to watch! The two older Walkers weren't too far behind him.

Here is the "Rebel" team scooping out the competition.

#1 Fan

After the first couple of rounds of basketball the kids and myself needed a break. My want-to-be-a-supportive-wife-but-have-two-kids-to-entertain-all-day-in-the-gym-face was not smiling by lunch time. Luckily, we headed over to Dianna's mother's house for refreshing. She had just what the kids needed. A trampoline, watermelon, and a bucket of water.

Jensen was totally soaked from dipping his flag in the water and then waving it.

We headed back for the last two rounds of games with their wiggles out and new outfits for the kids.

The men got in the finals and even had BYU's announcer, Greg Wrubell (his wife is from Alamo) announce the players. Big stuff. They ended up taking the tournament in a tough match-up with players from Dixie College.

After the tourney we went to a local restaurant for dinner and then headed to Logandale for fireworks at Quincy's parents. We all were so worn out from the day. I felt like I had played in the games. {I kind of did it was just a different game. Keep two children content.}

I have a feeling that this is going to be a new 4th of July tradition for the Walkers. They are going to have to find a new team for next year though. I don't think Dantley's Mission President is going to let him come home for the tourney.