It's SUNDAY already??

I guess that's what happens when you spend 13 hours at the school and waste away your entire Saturday.

Friday night, while Emily had her last bball practice of 2009, Rankin's, Elsen's and I set up the concession and gyms for the bball tourney on Saturday - the JY Classic. I never in a million years ever thought there would be anything named after and in honor of Jeff Young. I mean, I thought he was pretty damn special, but everyone else?? Outside of his family, I've learned, he meant a lot to a lot of different people. But the youth basketball program was his passion. It took 5 of us to fill in for him this year. What big shoes we had to fill. When I was first approached about naming the tourney after J, I was all weird about it. I didn't need the reminder and J would have hated it but I'm glad we did it after his greatest love, basketball.

Saturday was amazing. The tourney ran itself, the concession stand sold out of almost everything, there were no fights between parents and the best part is that we hired janitors to clean up after us. It was an amazing and very, very sad at the same time. Sheri was amazing running the concession stand and my family really stepped up in a big way...My mom and sister stayed the entire day helping wherever they could (which was mostly in the kitchen) and my dad was there for clean up. I can't thank them enough for being there and pitching in and I know when they read this I'll get an email that says, you don't have to thank your family....oh but I do. I'm glad they were all there when Allyson played her last game. That was the hardest one of all. The emotions were high, not sure if it's because I was exhausted or just because I was thinking about last year or that this year he's missing it. Just brought back all of the hurt and then some.

This tournament would not have happened without the help of the following people: Nate & Katy Rankin, Matt & Sheri Elsen, Melissa Linhart, my parents, my sister and the HS boys and girls basketball teams. It takes a village, I guess, to fill one person's very large shoes. Thank you so much for everything.

I hope you were watching from your cloud in the sky J, it was all for you. You were honored in the highest way and I hope you felt the love the entire day. I love you and miss you so, so much. I felt you close to me yesterday and for that I'm thankful.

I love ya babe.

L

I received this picture a couple of days ago from a parent of one of the ball players J coached. It was taken at our basketball banquet our first year running the league. He was so uncomfortable in front of the crowd...Thanks Erin!!