State Basketball Tournament

Joel's team made it to the State Tournament in Bend this year. They finished in the middle of the pack, won 2, lost 2. We enjoyed seeing Ryan and Michelle and the kids, and we watched a lot of basketball! Joel had had a fever and been sick the weekend before during the league tournament and was still getting over that sickness, coughing a ton. Greg and I both got sick that week, so all three of us were coughing and fighting sickness all weekend. The day after we got back from the tournament, Joel came home after school, saying he said he wasn't feeling well and fell asleep on his bed! I knew there was something really wrong then. He NEVER takes naps. When he woke up, he had a fever, so I took him in to the doctor that evening, and after listening to his lungs, they diagnosed him with pneumonia and gave him a Rosephin shot (not fun at all). Poor guy! Over the next two days, he watched all three Lord of the Rings movies while he rested.

This was a tough season for Joel and for us. He received very little playing time, and we watched as his confidence fell lower and lower. He felt a lot of pressure to not make mistakes, and there were times when the pressure was just too much, and he broke. That was so difficult to watch. We had lots of conversations about how we have to persevere through difficulties and work at becoming more mentally strong. We are so proud of him for his positive attitude and for trying his best, no matter the circumstances. He worked hard at being an encouraging teammate, too. There were some difficult lessons learned this season, but hopefully, God will use this time and these experiences to grow Joel's character and his faith.