Adam celebrates his 16th Birthday

Adam celebrated his birthday with cake and ice cream followed by the customary opening of presents... hey... that's not Adam.

Who opened Adam's presents while Matt expressed his disgust?

Senior Night for Carmen

It is really hard to believe that it was just a little over six years ago that Carmen started her first volleyball season for Southern Middle School as a sixth grader.

Over those years, she has played on eleven different teams and I have many memories as a spectator of each team. As I look at the group of people in the picture, I can't help but think of all the things these girls and their families experienced together. Here are some of my favorite volleyball memories:

• Watching Robyn's ability to serve and hit as a tiny little sixth grader.
• Observing a large diversity of skills and intensity in the tiny BAVA 13-1 team. I can still picture little Brianna, Carmen, Jessica and Robyn doing wall sits and jumping on bleachers at the YMCA practices.
  
• Watching Carmen, Allie, and Jessica play together on the BAVA 14-2 team
• Watching Carmen, Allie and Rachel do very well for Southern Middle in the city tournament as 8th graders. Lindi and Jackie were both active in organizing summer workouts before the season. Cassie played a large role as cheerleader from the bench to loosen up the serious 8th graders.
  
• Watching Robyn, Abi, Hannah [not pictured but not forgotten] and Laura advance as district champions.
• Watching Carmen, Rachel and Casey have the best record of any of the eleven different teams that Carmen played on. Janet and Jackie were involved in getting that team to the gym and warmed up before the games. ( Freshman TCHS 13 Wins -3 Losses )
  
• Watching Laura, Robyn, Abi, Allie and Rachel play together as a team at the beginning of a season to finish second in the Apollo Summer Slam.
  
• Spending time with the Sisks and Jones while Casey, Rachel and Carmen suffered through a long season for TEVA 16-3.
• Watching Carmen sit down on the Dunbar bleachers, take off her shoes, active ankles and knee pads then pack them into her bag as she had done a thousand times before.