Spring Break and Spring Sports

 Warning...pictures unfortunately loaded in random order so they are all mixed up but I will do my best to explain them!

Over Spring Break, we got some Cold Stone Ice Cream from birthday gift cards from Cousin Calvin

Finn started lacrosse and is playing on a 10U team.  He's one of the youngest kids, but not the smallest.

Luke and all of his first year friends on the Bantam AA team

Liam's team Banquet.  Liam is in the middle on back row with blue shirt.

Liam's first track meet.  He ran the 400m and did quite well.

Aiden And Finn went to a Timberwolves game with John

Aiden started playing lacrosse this year for the first time and is really enjoying it

We went to the WILD game over Spring Break.  This is Dinner prior to the game.  

Finn got to meet one of his favorite previous NHL goalies, Devan Dubnyk.  He played for the WILD and has retired now and has a son that is Finn's age.

Cheering at the WILD game!

Timberwolves game

Checking out warmups at the WILD game.  The WILD played the Colorado Avalanche and won in OT.

Luke's banquet with his team and coaches

WILD game

Liam's first race was cold and windy!

Liam and his buddies at his banquet

John and Luke at Luke's banquet.

We had a nice Spring Break in Minnesota.  The weather wasn't exactly spring like but we managed to find several fun things to do.  We went bowling with some good friends, went golfing on an indoor golf simulator place, went to a WILD game, John took Aiden And Finn to a Timberwolves game, and we tried to catch up on things we missed over hockey season like haircuts and dentist appointments!  Overall, it was a nice break.

Aiden and Finn are both beginning Spring Lacrosse and are excited about their new teams.  This is Aiden's first year to play lacrosse and he is very excited to try a new sport.  He has been playing quite a bit in the back yard with his brothers prior to this, but is excited to learn some new skills.  Finn is playing on a 10U team this year.  He could have stayed at 8U or moved up to 10U and we opted to push him up since he's so big and relatively physical.  

Liam is running track for the first time this spring and really enjoying it.  He goes for runs with his team everyday after school and is trying various events.  Right now, he is doing the 400 meter race and finding it is not an easy distance at all.  He has several buddies doing track as well, so its been a fun experience so far.  

Luke is busy with spring hockey.  He's playing lots of tough competition this summer and working out with high school kids at the place where he trains over the spring and summer.  He's playing for two high level teams and enjoys the competition.  One of his teams has kids from all over the United States including Florida, Texas, California, and Minnesota.  

Happy Spring!  We are hoping for some warmer and drier weather soon!

 

State Tournament March Madness

 

Aiden and John at Aiden's State hockey banquet

Luke and I up in Baudette, MN at his State banquet

Liam went skiing with some buddies

Willie the Walleye in Baudette, MN.  Just behind Luke is the where you cross the border to head into Canada

Aiden's team won in Regions to move to State

Only in Baudette would you see something like this

Luke's team won in Regions to move to the State tournament

The Maple Grove High School team advanced to the State Tournament and finished as Runner Up in a double overtime battle with Andover

Finn's end of season Jamboree

Aiden's team trophy for Regions

First year boys on the Bantam AA team with Luke

Luke and his hockey buddy and carpool friend, Lane

Luke and John at Luke's end of season banquet

Luke and I in Baudette with his Consolation champs trophy

Luke's team and coaching staff at the end of season banquet

Finn's cheering section for his jamboree

"On the Bench" celebrities at the State high school hockey tournament 

Aiden and his buddy, Anders 

Finn and Aiden at the Timberwolves basketball game with John

The theme of March for us was State Tournaments!  Both Luke and Aiden's hockey teams made it through their region and had the opportunity to play in State.  Just making it to State is a huge accomplishment.   The teams that make it out of their district are assigned to a Region tournament.  In each of the four region tournaments, there are TWO teams that advance to State.  This means that of the 100+ hockey teams at their respective levels in Minnesota, their teams were each 1 of 8 teams to advance to their State Tournament.  Quite an accomplishment just to be there.  

Both Aiden and Luke's team had tough first round draws in their games.  Aiden's team played an Edina team that was one of the three teams he lost to this season.  And Luke's team played the only team (Moorhead) that we couldn't find a way to beat all season long.  Not exactly a good way to start the tournament.  They both lost their first round games, but battled back and fought hard.  Luke's team came out with State Consolation Champs!

We also attended the high school State Hockey tournament in March and were able to watch Maple Grove advance to the Class AA State Championship.  It was an amazing game and one of the best championship games in recent history according to several of the people we were sitting with who were just there to watch.  There were 19,000 people there to watch the game and Maple Grove lost 6-5 in double overtime.  It was a heartbreaking loss, but such a fun environment like none other.  

In other news, Finn finished out his season with a jamboree.  His nickname was "Finn Crash the Net Carrithers."  He had a cheering section of middle school girls and boys to watch.  Finn is well loved by the middle school boys and girls that his brothers hang out with.  

We have officially ended our hockey seasons and we are preparing for spring sports even if the weather is exactly spring like yet?!  All four boys plan to play lacrosse this spring and summer.  Liam is running track on the junior varsity high school track team for the first time this spring.  They just started practicing last week, but he is really enjoying it so far and has several buddies doing it as well.  He is planning to try mid distance running first.  

Fabulous February

 

Aiden, Luke, and Finn cheering for Liam in his last tournament.  They finished second but had a very successful weekend of hockey!

Second place for Liam's Bantam B1 team

Aiden's band concert with his buddy, Ellis.  Aiden plays the saxophone.

Jack Weigel and Aiden after one of Liam's games in the district tournament.  Liam and Jack are on the same team.

Liam's team skated with the Minnesota Special Hockey team

The four first year kids on Luke's team.  They are nearly two years younger than many of the second year Bantam kids.

Finn's team finished in 3rd place in a President's Day tournament

Luke was able to watch one of Liam's tournament games where Liam scored the game winning goal in a shootout!!  Liam's move was the exact same thing he has practiced a thousand times against Luke on the backyard rink.

We all enjoyed the game winning goal!!

More Band concert Boys!

Luke's team in their final district game where they honored the second year players who will be moving up to high school hockey next year.

Luke and his goalie partner, Zach.

Finn's Islanders team after their Olympics!

It has been a busy February for us with lots of hockey, a few hockey tournaments, and a band concert for Aiden.  All three of the older boys finished their final district games and are currently playing in their district tournaments.  Each of them is hoping to advance to the Regional tournament and eventually to State in late March, if they do well.  

Aiden had his first band concert recently. He began playing the saxophone during COVID and has not been able to have a band concert due to various restrictions on numbers of people at gatherings and such.  It was fun to see him play his instrument since he rarely practices at home and yet seems to know what he's doing!

The last few weeks of the hockey season seem to fly by once the new year begins.  We are wrapping up a fun season and hoping for some success in our final tournaments on the Road to State!  Whatever the outcome, the boys have grown a lot this year and have really enjoyed their teams.  

Lastly, I have to post the cute memory that popped up in my Shutterfly memories.  This is a picture of John with Luke and Liam 12 years ago when he used to take the boys up to the park at night to WATCH hockey practices.  They would get grumpy at night and this was the best thing we could do to pass the time.  They loved loved watching hockey even at the age of two!

Jumping into January 2022

 

Finn and John at lunch on their trip to Cincy for Zach's wedding

Aiden's 12th birthday on January 2.  John was on his way home from a hockey tournament with Luke

Luke and Liam's 14th birthday!  They requested cheesecake.

One of the wedding highlights for Finn...a donut buffet.

Aiden taking a face off for his team (#14)

Finn at Zach and Cayla's rehearsal dinner

Finn had so much fun with his cousins at the wedding

Pond Hockey with Finn's team

Aiden's ice cream cookie sandwiches for his birthday

Our January consisted of three hockey tournaments (one for each of the older boys), three birthdays (January 2 for Aiden & January 11th for Luke/Liam), a trip to Cincinnati for John and Finn for Zach's wedding, and lots of regular hockey practices and district games.  We had a two week period of homeschool to let the COVID numbers go down a bit, but thankfully we are back in person at school now.

John and Finn enjoyed a quick trip to Cincinnati for Zach's wedding.  Finn really enjoyed getting to see all of his cousins, aunts/uncles, and grandparents.  He had a great time as an only child for a weekend and definitely did not mind missing some hockey at home.  

We are finishing up the regular season of hockey for the older boys and will be heading into the district tournaments pretty soon.  The goal is always to make it to regions and state tournaments, but we will take things one step at a time.  

We hope all is well and you are enjoying enjoying a good start to 2022!