the backer family: May 2024

Monday, May 20, 2024

HBD, LMB

Breakfast (not) in bed, and a surprise home office make-over for the birthday girl.

Happy 45th, Mama Bear.

EJB's 15th

FIFTEEN!

Birthday donuts... and a drivers permit for our beautiful first-born.

Happiest birthday to you, EBGB. 😘

Me & E

With Mom & S in Iowa, E & I had a date weekend (when not playing/coaching hoops, that is).

Homemade brunch, late night movies, and an eve on the town (pici & pizza at Snack Bar followed by desserts, yes, plural, at Edward's).

Love you, baby! Fun weekend!

MN Stars @ Live at the Lakes

3-1 at the Lakes event, and, ugh, that "L" was winnable... vs. Wisconsin's best (Team Wisconsin).

Keep grinding.

Stars on 3!

NT Nike @ Battle of the Best

3rd place for S's NT crew in Des Moines after a semi-final heart-breaker to Iowa's best, Play 4 Him.

Wonderful to have Sawyer back in action and healthy again after missing a month with (another) ankle issue. Fingers crossed we have this thing under control going forward!

Another great weekend of bonding as well. Great girls!

The pupil becomes the master

Our entrepreneurial Sawyer added a second job (lawn mowing being the first) in training the neighbor girl in basketball.

Two sessions a week, progress reports and homework... it's the real deal!

Proud of you, S!

Our sweet boy is SEVEN! New bones, a day at Camp Bow-Wow, the world's shortest walk (when this guy says the walk is over... the walk is over), steak scraps post-dinner, a nap on the cool basement bed. Oh, to be a Backer dog...

Truly the gentlest giant. Such a good boooyyyyyyyy!

Double Date Night

Billy Sushi & Edward's Dessert Kitchen with La & Opie...

(14 years after one of our earliest double-date nights)

Friday Funday

Willow River, Olive & Vine lunch in Hudson, Minnehaha dog park, rooftop s'mores at the Fred... and it's not even summer yet!

Hey now, you're a track star...

Sawyer gave track a try this year, experimenting with the 200, 400, relays and the high jump.

Such a social sport, such a sh!t weather sport, such an inefficiently run sport (I'm telling you, I bet I could run a fan-first experience meet that wraps in 45 minutes), but such a great environment to see athlete friends from all sports running, jumping and cheering together.

MN Stars @ State

E's team blew out Tier 2 competition in the qualifier earning play-in rights to Tier 1 for State the following weekend. The group knocked off the #8 seed (Legacy Elite) in that game, had the #1 seed (NT Nike) within a few buckets at the end of regulation, and led the #5 seed (MN Rise) for 95% of the match, before losing by a handful... finishing in 7th place overall (Tier 1).

This team has earned "Tier 1" status for next year, and the remainder of the season. We'll take our lumps, but I wouldn't want to play us!

Lots of competition vs. Wayzata teammates too. Fun weekend!

E's defense is improving weekly, grinding it out and getting physical. And, she's still shooting at a high clip (8-10 from three in her two best offensive games, for example).

Congrats, ladies!

NT Nike @ State

5X back-to-back State champions after a 7-1 qualifier and state tourney run for NT Nike's "13s"... and, they did it with S on IR (but, vocal on the bench and with the crew in spirit).

Avenging their one loss to MN Fury Blue in the championship was the uber highlight (though, competing against Wayzata teammate Brie, and with teammate Nikki was a close second).

What a fight! Congrats, champs!