Life Lately - Thankful (2018)

A goal of mine next year. . .to finally research and get a camera AND USE IT!!!  I went to Arkansas with my tennis team for a tournament and one of my teammates had his camera and asked if I wanted to take pictures.  I think I spent as much (or more!) time behind the lens then on the court -- and enjoyed each equally.  Tom has been bugging me for a decade to "take the plunge" and get a "nice" camera -- I may have finally been convinced.

This picture was my favorite that I took all weekend -- it was Mihir's camera (he was also my roommate) and one of my teammates baby.  She was my buddy, sometimes even when I had the camera :)

I was thankful to her parents, Will and Laura, for allowing me to spend so much time with this sweet girl.

Speaking of roommates, here were the other two:

Unfortunately the weather was lousy and we spent a lot of time just hanging our and waiting to play.  Sigh.  When you get this far (first we had to win district, then state, to make it to sectionals) you've invested a lot of time and money into it, especially with the travel.

This was my doubles partner, Shawn.  We were playing between raindrops here and won two short sets.  Not my favorite way to play.

The next day we were inside. . .

We (Shawn & I) ended up losing in a tiebreak but the team won :)

And here we all were, back outside late on Sunday. . .

 Last weekend this team traveled to Orlando to compete in the national tournament but I didn't go. . .and they came home in 3rd place.  In the NATION!!!  So awesome.  Our team captains are the ones in the picture holding the sign -- they are amazing, so organized and devoted.

Speaking of tennis, Stephen traveled to Cookeville a few weeks ago to compete in a local tournament, beating their #2 and coming within 3 games of winning it all (against their #1, who is a year older and a foot taller than him!)

 I don't have any pictures from that day -- the weather was very yucky and Stephen doesn't prefer that I take lots of pictures when he's playing (that may change this season though, if I get my wish and a camera ;))  I did, however, snap this picture of him and his brother at lunch that day. . .

November, 2020. . .

I found this in my drafts and want to publish it. . .memories and all, y'know.

I still play tennis. . .but that was the only time I have traveled with that group.  I believe that little girl now has a sibling. . .again, I see her dad around once in awhile but haven't ever played with him.  The lucky, good, great thing about those group pictures is that all of those people are still in my life!!!  I find that to be such a "win", in this mobile society, that I know them, could reach out to them, and have probably seen every one of them in the last month or so.  Knoxville really has become "home".

Even though I was just going to "wrap up" and not make a big deal about a post I started in November 2018, I have a recent picture of those two above. . .

Stephen's 17th birthday.  Robert is still at UTC and will graduate in May, Stephen is now a senior in HS and will graduate in May also.  He is no longer playing tennis, but did play golf the last two years.  Lots else to catch up on. . .but another time.

Let's see if I can catch up on all the posts I've started and stopped over the last two years. . .or maybe I'll just jump right back in.  It's been a different year for the entire world, for sure.  Funny reading a post written over two years ago and to see how much has changed and yet how the important things are still the same.

Happy end-of-November 2020,

Jenni