Whirlwind weekend!

Wow! What a weekend.  It started Friday night.  Alex had a game, but it was out of town and we decided not to go because I already had tickets for something later.  We did enjoy a nice Mexican dinner at Manzanilla.  Then Tessa and I went to "BeaUtiful in the Extreme".  This was a play recommended by her teacher and put on by the local Roxy Theatre.  It was about Lewis and Clark.  We saw her teacher and a few of her classmates there with their parents.  It was great although a bit more on an adult level.  But still, fun to have a night out with Tess. 

Saturday morning, the craziness started.  Alex had 3 soccer games in a tournament at White House of which there was no transportation provided.  I took him while Eric took Jarem and Tessa to their soccer games. I had an enjoyable time at the tournament.  Alex and I went to Subway and had lunch together between games.  That was nice.  It has been a long time since we have had time alone together.  It was a great day with my big boy. 

Later, Eric met up with us to see Alex's second game and then we came back and the 3rd game was at home against Clarksville.  It was varsity so Alex wouldn't be playing, but had to be there.  Eric went and really enjoyed the game.  I guess it was quite an emotionally charged game, but Rossview ended up winning 1-0. 

Sunday morning, we got up early and got ready for church and were on the road to Huntsville, AL by 8:00am.  We arrived at Kyle and Jessica's church around 10:30.  We were there for the blessing of their baby, Taegan.  It was a special blessing and we always enjoy our time with them.  They made us a yummy lunch, but we had to leave shortly after to head back because we had a youth fireside that night.  Eric was the main speaker and had found out oddly that he was on the program without ever being asked.  He hadn't known the date until the day before during the soccer game.  He was supposed to take about 30 minutes on Nauvoo. 

We also got to spend a little time with Grandpa Bass

On our way back home, I drove so Eric could focus on his talk.  He was stressed and frantically trying to get his talk together.  He felt upset that he was in this position because someone else hadn't done their job in asking and giving him notice, but he loves the youth and Nauvoo, so he wanted to do it for them.  He was trying to write, but couldn't even read what he was writing because of the bumps and curves on the road.  We talked a lot about what he might say. 

When we got home, we dropped off the kids and took Alex and headed straight to Hopkinsville for the fireside.  I drove so Eric would have a little more time to prepare.  When we got there, the meeting was set-up in the gym in a campfire type setting with very dim light and all the youth were sitting on the floor.  There really wasn't even enough light to read his notes and nowhere to set his books or things he had planned to use.  I was very worried for him, but he did an AMAZING job!  He stood up there and just spoke from his heart with the Spirit and shared some of our experiences in Nauvoo.  He was even able to get his pictures and video to work at the end.  It was so great.  I think it really helped the youth get the spirit of Nauvoo.  The fireside was in preparation for their trip to Nauvoo for youth conference this summer.

This is a picture that Alex took of himself on my phone while we were driving back from Huntsville.  He thought he was pretty funny because he made it the wallpaper on my phone and then put a banner on my phone that said, "Alex is sexy beast".  I told him that any pictures he took and left on my phone were free game for the blog, so here it is. :)