Sunny Days Ahead.... please?

Well, I've officially had enough of winter!  When making Spring Break plans, we debated over going snow skiing.  Let's just say that I'm so glad we decided on sun & sand instead.  The snow here was beautiful, but I'm ready for typical Mississippi weather to return.

As always, the holidays were wonderful!  No trips or special events.... just family time.  Mark spent most of his time in Carthage preparing for the new additions to the Courtney family..... horses!  He did have some paid help, but he was right along side them putting up a fence to have a place to put these 3 creatures.  He did this to help his dad cross something off of his "bucket list".  Mr. C's horse is the gentle one, Zachary's horse is the big one (surprise, surprise) and Mark's horse is.... well, he has changed his name to include a not so nice word.  She's hardheaded, but that's pretty fitting! She is now Mark's challenge!  Between feeding and caring for horses, Mark spends his time between one of the Courtney family's two places in Leake County fixing, plowing or building something!  The renovation of the place off of Hwy 25 is complete and I'm amazed that it's the same place!  There are plans to build a cabin one day, but for now they gutted the trailer and transformed it into something really nice!  Flat screens, distressed cabinets and really nice furniture that Mrs. C got involved picking out!  The back of the trailer faces Hwy 25 and still looks crappy, but the front has been covered with wood and looks incredible!  Hopefully, that makes it look uninviting to potential criminals.  There's always something to be done at Cypress Break or Carthage (that's what we call the two places) and he enjoys doing it!  Give the man a tractor and a piece of land any day over a golf course!!!!  

Zachary signed a full scholarship a couple of weeks ago with East Mississippi Community College to play football next year.  He's really excited because these people are serious about some football!  They were #4 in the nation and state juco champions!  Their QB just signed with Ole Miss and countless others signed with other D1 schools.  Their entire program is set up to get them ready for other opportunities to play at the next level.  Who knows what will happen with Zachary, but I'm so proud of him to take advantage of this opportunity and not to ask himself one day... "What if".   I know juco isn't what Jackson Prep prepares their students for, but this is an opportunity for him to play the game he loves!  He could go straight to Ole Miss, State or where ever with his ACT score, but this is what he wants to do no matter what the "Prep norm" might be.  It's interesting how many end up returning to Hinds after doing the "Prep norm" because of not making their grades.  No one ever mentions that.  It's weird how as long as you graduate from Prep and enroll in a "big college", it doesn't matter if you actually STAY there!  I was disappointed that one of the teachers at Prep "made fun" of his college plans.  Honestly, this lady doesn't belong in the teaching profession.  I don't care if a kid is going to Antonelli College, you don't do that!  It tells me a lot about this teacher's character.  

Leigh Ashley's dance competition season begins this weekend in West Memphis, AR.  She has also been busy just being a "senior" (6th grade) at First Pres!  It's hard to believe that she'll be at Prep next year.  I know that it will be a whole new experience with a girl there.  I'll still be the biggest Prep football fan and keep my "job" with the sideline video, but it will be very different.  I told them that I'm sure I'll do a much better job without a player to worry about and to watch.  Zachary's games will be on Thursdays or Saturdays, so I will get my football fix for sure this fall.  Leigh Ashley is taking semi-private gymnastics lessons to get all of the required tumbling for cheerleader tryouts in the next few years.  A lot different from when I cheered next to the chicken houses in Soso!  Good thing for my jr high/high school cheerleading career that no flips were required to cheer for the Mustangs!

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