Beautiful family

 What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life – to be with each other creating memories.  -George Eliot

 

   

Why We Love the "I" States

Earlier this spring, Michael's AAU team, Prodigy, did so well in a Cincinnati tournament that they qualified to participate in the National Tournament for the Midwest region, held in Indianapolis.  Finally, the tournament arrived.  Michael's team played more synergistically than they had all year, and it paid off.  Team Prodigy advanced to the Final Four, in the gold bracket, before losing to the eventual champions.  Michael was spectacular, leading his team with scoring throughout the weekend.  Truly a once in a lifetime experience that will likely stay with him for years, if not for life!

Almost equally as exciting (not really), Steven and I kept the official scoreboard and clock for every game in which Prodigy played.  That helped us not yell as frenetically as usual, because we were seated next to a representative of the opposing team and were instructed to remain impartial.  As if. Angie accompanied us on the trip!  She and Elizabeth sat together and we could always, always hear them cheering.  Here are a couple of clips, I hope they aren't blurry: His usual NBA three and then a jumper which cracked me up because he gets past 3 defenders while being fouled and then someone yells "Thank you!" while Angie nervously covers her face. The 5 of us had many laughs together in between the games.  After the tournament, Angie and Michael drove back to Georgetown to relieve Stephen Jasper of the three stooges' duty.

    

Elizabeth, Steven, and I traveled an additional 4.5 hours to Galesburg, Illinois, home of Knox College.  Go Blazing Prairie Fire!  Knox is one of Loren Pope's 40 most influential colleges and emphasizes social justice and diversity inclusion across their curriculum.  Elizabeth spotted their Human Rights Center immediately upon our arrival.  One of the windows displayed a sign that read "whoever you are, wherever you are from, you are welcome here."  WE have that sign in our house!!!  During our visit, we took a tour led by an alum from San Diego; Elizabeth loved the tour guide, who truly was inspiring (a psychology major who is pursuing a ph.d. in something upon which she hasn't decided).  Then Elizabeth had a one-on-one meeting with an admissions counselor named Joyce.  Joyce told Steven and me that Elizabeth is amazing! and that she cannot believe how aware Elizabeth is of social issues and how impressed she was by Elizabeth's involvement in related projects.  She told Elizabeth the Peace Corps seems like a good fit for her post-college, which is what Joyce did in Africa.

Galesburg is home to one of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.  Elizabeth sat in Lincoln's chair, which we were told is periodically reupholstered but otherwise is in its original form.  Elizabeth loved learning that President Obama has spoken at Knox twice since 2005.  So much to love about Knox!  We left that campus so excited about the possibility of Elizabeth attending there. 

We eventually made our way back to Kentucky, appreciative that our trips to Indiana and Illinois were so positive, successful, and memorable.  Maybe next year we'll visit Idaho and Iowa!

Four drivers

Not referring to golf clubs (pretty clever writing, considering I don't know how to play golf, right?), but rather, whose behind our vehicles' steering wheels.  Michael got his driver's permit!!!  He's a calm, coordinated driver who drove home from Lexington two days later. He had a super fun birthday, celebrating with friends and an Oreo ice cream cake with blue frosting, but the best was passing the written test.

Good things have happened to all of us since he passed his test:

I won't go on and on with details - although I have plenty - but once again,
Michael's AAU team won a tournament championship.  Michael, once again, was the team's leading scorer across the two days of playing.  It was easy to find photos to use in a poster - all shots are from made baskets.  :)

Elizabeth completed her summer college course, Psychology of Women.  Every day Steven and I commented on her diligence and conscientiousness, as she logged on for 1-3 hours, reading sometimes-dense research articles, watching documentaries, listening to lectures, and writing, writing, writing.  Her original PowerPoint presentation on honour killings in Pakistan was beautifully-done.  Her professor commented on how impressively she connected lecture material and assigned readings to her research (including a Maya Angelou poem!).  She earned 1000/1000 points for the course.  Not that I doubt my daughter's academic abilities in any way, but I have never, ever seen a perfect score for an upper level course with so many different requirements.  Elizabeth enjoyed the course and appreciated learning so much about women's experiences around the world, but I saw her huge smile when she submitted that final exam.

Bennett visited!  Then Fred and Virginia brought Parker, Sam, and Elise for a visit!  We were sad we didn't get to meet up with Tiffany as well.  Although the visits were brief, we loved them.  It made all of us McKenzies even more super excited for our California visit.  Sports challenges were made.  There are some competitive souls amongst the cousins!  :) 

Steven and I celebrated our 24 year anniversary!  We went to Cane's for lunch so we could see Elizabeth.  We walked through some model homes and snickered at some gaudy decorations.  Oh, I mean, I snickered; Steven always find the good in everything.  I am so fortunate to have a husband with such a beautiful soul.

I continue having coffee and lunch with friends. Here I am at the annual lunch with the group I call my geriatric friends (maybe don't tell them that).  Combined age: 280 years (Macy is 81).  All three are retired faculty and remain so active, busy, and intellectual. 

Sending you all love.  Experiencing sheer excitement in anticipation of seeing siblings, in-laws, and cousins later this month!!!!!!!!

Breathing more easily

We are all breathing more easily these days.  Yes, school is out!

Elizabeth continues to love work, both her co-workers and the work tasks.  She has begun her on-line Psychology of Women college course and diligently spends time each day on the readings, lectures, and writing assignments.  She is familiar with a lot of the background material already, due to her high school sociology course (and having a social psychologist as a mom, ha ha); in fact, she informed me that the only thing she has actually learned thus far is the term outgroup homogeneity!  Wow, that daughter of mine sure does know a lot about gender studies and the history of women's suffrage!

Michael's AAU travel basketball team has found their synergy. 
Two weekends ago, we travelled to Atlanta, where his team went undefeated, winning the entire tournament! 

Last weekend they competed in a Louisville tournament and won first in the silver bracket (they lost only one game over the three days).  I'm telling you, don't mess with Basketball Michael.  He will take you on.  And you will lose.  He is amazing to watch.  Angie opened up her home to eight of us - the four McKenzies, Michael's friend Aaron, and the three stooges [our dogs] - what a gracious host.  I love spending time with Angie and so appreciated her attending every single one of his games that weekend.  Rosemary went to most of them as well.  Michael has been working a children's basketball camp at the high school all week, then goes to high school practice in the afternoon, followed by AAU practice during the evenings.  Michael's JV team starts competing this weekend.  As you can see, we never have too much basketball.

Elizabeth wanted to go (well, we made her go) to the Atlanta tournament.  She and I snuck off to Agnes Scott College in between games and went on a self-tour of the all-female, private, small, liberal arts campus.  One of our favorite parts of the beautiful campus was the enormous sign that read "smart women sweat."  Although it was referring to women in sports, Elizabeth and I felt super smart because it was really humid, so we were certainly sweating.  I loved spending time with her talking about college life and was so happy the four of us were together for the whole weekend.

Speaking of college, Austin graduated summa cum laude from Eastern Kentucky University last month.  Steven was able to attend the ceremony and spend the afternoon and evening with his family.  I can imagine how everyone had many poignant thoughts of David during the festivities.  How proud he was of  Austin for so many reasons, certainly one of which was Austin's academic achievements.

My sabbatical has officially ended! The last 2 activities I completed during the semester include a presentation and a proposal.  I presented at a ministry festival, my topic was how faculty combine their spiritual beliefs with their academic calling.  The other final task was collaborating with my two brilliant sisters on our cross-cultural research project conference proposal.  We submitted it last night for the November 

conference.  We will officially be notified by August as to whether our proposal was accepted, but I'm telling you on June 1st that it will definitely be accepted.  We rocked that research project!  I am thankful for sabbatical for many reasons, including I got to have many lunches and get togethers with friends around the state!  I even caught up with LBJ one week and Carolyn Ludwig another. Last weekend my UK mentor Monica, UK peer Mark, and I got together in Lexington. 

Steven continues to be the family rock.  Pretty much everything the man does is for his family, including arriving at work before 5 each morning so he can leave by 2:30 and be with us.  He cooks, cleans, makes every call related to finances, and takes care of all the landscaping and yard work.  He drives  Michael to his many, many practices and events.  He continues researching colleges for Elizabeth.  He keeps me even-keeled with his calm demeanor.  And of course, we love our evening walks with the three stooges. Again, the man is our rock.

Love and miss you all!  Can't wait for the California trip!!!