Zoo Fun

This year we got season passes for the Cincinnati Zoo. We decided to make our first visit a couple weeks ago. This proved to be a very bad decision because it just so happened to be spring break for most of the schools in the area. The place was packed and we just saw some of the animals before heading home. The low point of this trip to the zoo was when we realized that we had lost Landon's sippy cup. We had to retrace our steps and we eventually found it, or else it would have been a horrible trip home too!

One of the few pictures we took during our zoo trip.

So, we decided that we needed to go back and have another day at the zoo. Hopefully this day would be less crowded and the kids, Jennifer and I could have more fun. This is exactly what happened on our return visit last week.

Landon watching the giraffes.

Next we headed over to the train. We didn't get to ride it last time because it was a 45 minute wait. Today we just walked right up and got right on.

Family selfie on the train.

Next we headed over to see the penguins. It is so weird seeing penguins out in a normal environment. They are just out playing on some rocks and swimming in their little pool.

The kids enjoying their popcorn while riding through the children's zoo. If you look closely you can see a baby cheetah through the window.

Both kids really enjoyed seeing the polar bear. The polar bear was having fun swimming around in the water.

The kids really enjoyed the carousel too! We ended up riding it 3 times in a row. Landon's first animal choice was the camel. Unfortunately it didn't move up and down.

Brinley catching a ride on a white tiger.

Our little family. These people make me the happiest man ever. I am so glad to call them my kids and my wife.

We headed into the reptile house and Brinley was brave enough to touch a snake.

Our favorite photo spot. The giant tortoise. 

These two kids are so silly sometimes.

I love these 3 so much!

Family picture in front of the tulips.

The tulips were everywhere. It was so neat to see all the different colors throughout the zoo. I asked one of the workers and she said that after they die, they pull up all the bulbs and keep them for the following year. I can't begin to imagine how many man hours this tedious task takes. 

We stopped by to see the elephants before leaving. There was only one elephant and it wouldn't even turn to look around at us. This baby elephant statue would just have to do for today.

My beautiful wife and I before packing up the car and heading home. I am so happy to have her in my life.

We plan to take full advantage of our zoo passes. Both kids really enjoy seeing the animals and it is a lot of fun to see them get excited with each exhibit. Thanks for reading and God bless!

Meeting the Kentucky Basketball Players

After I got back into the swing of things after the loss in the Final Four I came up with the idea to take the kids to meet all the players who are departing for the NBA. This was going to be quite an undertaking, but I knew that it was something that I needed to do for myself and it would be something cool that the kids could look back on one day. I decided to take this as a time to say my personal goodbyes and thanks to this great group of young men. As we all know, the BBN is pretty crazy when it comes to basketball, but I had no idea just how difficult it would be to meet all these players. The first player that we had the opportunity to meet was Willie Cauley-Stein. We attended the opening day baseball game of the legends where Willie was throwing out the first pitch. Since this was my first time waiting in a long line with the kids, I was highly unprepared. Thankfully I had a friend that stood in line with me. Between the two of us we were able to wrangle the kids for the 2 hours that we waited in line to meet Willie.

I think Willie got a kick out of Landon's outfit. He wore a headband and was carrying around a little basketball.

I was a little upset that they said we couldn't come behind the table and get a good picture with Willie. The kids were too distracted and wouldn't look at the camera.

Willie has been one of my favorite Kentucky players in the Calipari Era. He has been a fun guy to watch and I thanked him for the past three years and also mentioned that I was a nurse at UK Children's Hospital and I was thankful for the time he spent to come and visit the kids.

Landon still wasn't interested in the camera, but at least Brinley was looking this time.

I had originally told Jennifer that I was only going to get Willie's autograph. However, I thought about it all day Friday and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet them all. So, I packed the kids in the car and we started out on an adventure to Hazard. We had to make this 2 hour trip, because I had missed a few of the players when they did their signings close to Lexington. At the time they had not scheduled any additional dates close to us that I could attend due to my weekend work schedule. The kids slept the whole way down to Hazard and after getting lost trying to find the Wildcat Wearhouse they were excited to get out of the car. Since yesterday's adventure had been crazy trying to corral the kids, I decided to bring the wagon along for the kids to stay in. I packed up enough stuff for an army and we headed to the back of the line to wait for a chance to meet Karl Anthony Towns and Devin Booker.

It was one of the hottest days of the year and it just so happened that the line wrapped around the building and when we got to the end it was in direct sunlight. Thankfully I had the umbrella to shield the kids from getting burnt. Both kids enjoyed many snacks and Brinley really enjoyed eating her Olaf sucker.

These two did amazingly well considering everything that I was asking them to do. Many of the people around us complimented them on how well behaved they were. They spent a lot of time munching on snacks and playing on the iPad and my iPhone. They were really content for almost the entire 3 hours that we waited in line. It wasn't until we were a few people from meeting the guys that Landon started to have a little meltdown. Thankfully he calmed down to meet the guys.

Karl signing while Devin and I talk. I told them I was a season ticket holder and that I went to the Final Four. I told them it was a lot of fun watching them play and that I wished them both good luck in the NBA. They were both really nice and it made me glad that I showed up to meet them both. 

Devin signing our basketball.

Brinley gave both of them high fives too! She was so proud of herself too! I think this will be something better to tell people later in life instead of something silly like licking Devin's car.

Karl and Devin with us! These guys were great and I wish them nothing but success in any of their future endeavors. I just wish that they could have stuck around longer because they are both really special players.

The kids with our signed basketball. Brinley is pointing out Devin's autograph.

 After this signing was the weekend and I had to go to work so I wasn't able to get anything then, but I had a few more players that we needed to meet. Next on the list were the Harrison twins. They were going to be in Simpsonville at the outlet mall, which is right outside of Louisville. They had actually been in Lexington on Friday, but we missed them because we were in Hazard meeting Karl and Devin. This was the first trip that Jennifer was able to make with us because she didn't have to work. She didn't care to meet them or be in the picture, so she was our photographer. Jennifer dropped me off so that I could get in line and she took the kids to go get something to eat. I waited about and hour and half in line before they came to join me. Those 30-45 minutes waiting in line with the kids was very difficult. There was a playground right next to the line that we were in and both kids wanted to play in it. Thankfully we were able to distract them enough so that we could keep our spot in line.

Brinley excited to meet the twins. Here Andrew is signing our ball. The downfall of this meeting was that it was moved to inside the food court because it was too cold outside. They weren't prepared with a back drop, so all the pictures have random people in the food court.

They were both really nice and I wished them both luck in the NBA and told them it was a lot of fun to watch them the past 2 years. Brinley gave them both a high five and then they both also gave Landon a high five too! Our photographer (Jennifer) had already put the camera up and missed both kids giving high fives. She had not heard me talking to Brinley about giving the guys high fives so she didn't know that it was going to happen. 

Brinley was so happy to meet them. We still have to work on Landon's photo skills. He doesn't always look at the camera. He will eventually figure it because we get a lot of practice in this household.

That left only 2 more guys for us to meet to have met all the 7 guys that were leaving for the NBA. Thankfully they were going around together to sign autographs. I called the store early in the day to find out how things were going to be working and if there was a line forming already. They informed me that you could actually purchase your autographs online and they would just assign you a number when you got to the store. This made things great because I wouldn't have to wait in line and the kids would not have to either. However, when we arrived it still took a little time to get inside the store. However, only having to wait around 30 minutes was much better than it could have been.

Brinley giving the guys high five. She was so excited about it. 

Landon getting in some high fives too!

They were both very nice and I wished them both good luck in the NBA.  I even told Dakari that I saw his little brother at the Final Four and that I couldn't wait to see him at UK in a few years.

This marks the end of our Wildcat to NBA autograph tour. 

I had debated whether or not I was going to try and do this little adventure with the kids, but after completing it I am so glad that I did. The kids and I will have a lifetime of memories from the time we traveled around meeting all these young men. I was so fortunate to have season tickets at RUPP Arena for what was truly an amazing year of Kentucky Basketball. I am sad to see all seven of these guys leave, but I can't be any more proud of them and wish them well in their future NBA careers.

Here is a view of all the guys we met in the past week. Here is the true final breakdown of what the ball is actually worth and what it took to make it all happen.

Autographs - $145

Hours waiting in line - 8

Driving time to event - 6

Meeting 7 great UK players with my kids - PRICELESS

Meeting all these guys has definitely helped some of the heartbreak of losing in the Final Four, but it has actually just got me more pumped for next years basketball season. Thanks for reading and God bless!

Final Four 2015

Unless you have been under a rock this past week then you know that the entire state of Kentucky has been in mourning. This is because our previously undefeated UK Wildcats were upset in the Final Four game against Wisconsin. I was actually present for this unfortunate event. I was pretty depressed about the outcome and I am not sure I can fully recover anytime soon. This team was special and I am so proud of the way that they came together and sacrificed minutes and stats for the greater good of the team. They were a group of truly unselfish young men who rewrote the history books and were on the brink of becoming known as one of the greatest college basketball teams ever assembled. I was much more involved with Kentucky Basketball this year because I had the privilege of being a season ticket holder. That means that I got to watch this amazing group play together about 15 times this season. I had to miss a few games at Rupp because of my work schedule.

About two months before the Final Four I had already bought my tickets to the event from a friend who had decided that they didn't want to attend. Now I just needed to find out who was going with me. Jennifer was my initial plan, but during the regular season I could tell that she was not really interested that much in the Big Blue Nation. In fact at one game that we attended she actually fell asleep while the game was in progress. Let it be known that she hadn't slept much the night before the noon time game, but sleeping in Rupp is unacceptable. So, that left my brother and dad. Last year dad and I attended the games in Dallas and he was excited to go back. However, this year dad wasn't able to attend the games on Saturday because he had previous commitments for Easter Sunday and wouldn't be able to make it home after the games in time for church. McKinley was the winner for the tickets for the trip to the Final Four. The plan after that was to purchase another set of tickets so that dad and Jennifer could come to see history made for the championship game. Now to just enjoy the ride!

Our favorite pizza place opened up in Indy, so we had to make a stop at Giordano's for some stuffed pizza. It was delicious! If you have never had Chicago deep dish pizza then I am truly sorry for you.

We made it to downtown and found cheap parking across from the JW Marriott. They had the entire bracket posted on the side of the hotel.

We headed over to the Fanfest to see what all kinds of activities they had to offer. While looking all around the convention center we spotted Marshall Faulk doing a talk. The host was asking him all about his time in the NFL and more specifically about his time in Indy. (Kind of weird that he was talking at a basketball event.) The only thing that I remember him saying was when he talked about his favorite restaurant in Indy. It was funny that he said Cracker Barrel. He had never been to one until his time in Indy. Marshall said he was nervous going in for the first time because of the name "Cracker" Barrel. He then said that he tries to get to one every time he is in town.

Better picture of Marshall Faulk.

We also got our picture cutting down the nets.

We spotted the Hefty Lefty walking around so I just had to meet him and get a picture. He was actually a really nice guy.

McKinley and I competed against each other in a skills challenge. McKinley beat me in three out of the four categories.

Finally we headed over to the stadium. McKinley posed out front for a picture.

Brothers here to see the #1 team in the nation, our Kentucky Wildcats.

2015 Final Four! I can't believe that I got to go two years in a row and to see the Wildcats both times.

There wasn't much to do inside the stadium, so we just headed up to our seats. They just happened to be 3 rows from the top which is the same as my tickets at Rupp.

The national anthem was sung by student athletes from each of the Final Four schools. It was pretty neat, but it was surprising that a famous person didn't sing it.

Picture of our true view. We had a 27 inch TV that was directly in front of us. I didn't watch it except for any replays. I spent all my time watching the players on the court. This was during our pre-game entertainment - the Duke vs. Michigan State game.

The anticipation was finally over! It was time for real game of the night. I just hoped that the boys came to play and could start strong.

Opening tipoff.

The guys did start off quick. Andrew Harrison drilled a 3 to start the game. It seemed like this was going to be our night!

Playing a little defense.

 We started out strong, but then quickly fell behind. We kept battling back and finished strong for the first half. We were in the lead and the badgers hit a late one to get the score tied at 36 a piece for halftime.

This is the time for us to shine. Kentucky is a second half team. I couldn't wait to see them finish this game and start to get ready for Duke.

The problem is that nobody told the guys that we were undefeated, not invincible. They were just not playing like themselves for the majority of the game. We weren't playing much in the post and we were being dominated on rebounding.

The guys were down eight points pretty early into the second half. I still had the faith that these guys were a team of destiny and that they would pull it out, but they needed to get it together. 

The guys started battling back and tied the game back up with about eight and a half minutes left in the game at 56 each.

We had the momentum and were playing great defense which we are known for. Then we took the lead and I knew that he had them on the ropes.

The Wildcat pyramid got the crowd on its feet during a TV timeout.

Picture of me in my 8* shirt. I new that the days were numbered before this shirt would be outdated.

This is when everything started to fall apart. We took the 4 point lead with six and a half minutes left in the game and we didn't score again until 52 seconds left in the game! That is five and a half minutes without a score. During this five minutes things really fell apart. We had three consecutive shot clock violations where we didn't even hit the rim once. They were holding the ball and not even starting anything on offense until there was about 10 seconds left on the shot clock. They were looking to draw a foul and the refs were not calling anything. There is no way that there wasn't a foul on at least one of these possessions. However, the worst call of the night was at the other end of the court and coincidentally it involved the shot clock. Kentucky played great defense for 32 seconds and Willie blocked a shot and it went out of bounds. Wisconsin got the ball with 3 seconds left on the shot clock. It took them forever to shoot the basketball and we even spotted it in real time that the shot clock had expired. Apparently the only people in the stadium that didn't see it was the only people that could do anything about it, the refs. Since it happened around the two and a half minute mark it was not a reviewable play because it wasn't under 2 minutes to play in the game. Wisconsin took advantage of the momentum swing and the botched call to take the lead. Kentucky had spent the last five minutes trying to slow down the game and take time off the clock, the exact opposite of what we had done all year. This is when we should have been going for the kill. Just like we had been doing in the previous 38 games. The badgers shot well from the free throw line down the stretch and we just ran out of time to make a comeback.

I had actually stopped taking pictures around the five minute mark in the game because I knew that the National Championship game was the pictures that I actually cared about. So, I decided that I had enough from the semi-final game. I never in my wildest dreams would have ever thought the Cats would have lost, especially before we even made it to the championship. I was stunned! In complete disbelief! This team was meant for destiny. The first team to have a perfect season of 40-0.

I bought a few souvenirs and immediately found someone to take our championship tickets, because there was no way that I was going to come back and watch a game where I couldn't stand either team. We had originally planned to drive back to Louisville and crash at McKinley's place, but I was so frustrated that I just kept driving home after I dropped him off. He had slept most of the way home so I in essence had a 3 hour drive home all to myself to think about what I had just witnessed.

Could I have done anything different to have made the outcome any different? Was I the curse of the Final Four. I had just gone to the previous two Final Fours and Kentucky had come home empty handed. The only thing that made me think otherwise was that we had won at least a game the previous year. If we had gone win less both years then I would have vowed to never go back again to a Final Four. I got home at 4:30 Easter morning and went straight to bed. When I woke up at 11 I was hoping that it had all been a nightmare. However, after about 30 minutes of being up I felt depressed again and had to go lay back down. When I woke up at 3 pm I was starting to feel a little better, but still down in the dumps. I was just about to start feeling better when I got to work and I had a friend tell me that their husband blamed me for the loss because I had been to the last two Final Fours. A little while later another friend text me that I was 0-2 at Final Fours. To top it off I even had a co-worker tell me that I jinxed us by taking the pictures with the trophy and cutting down the net. These all brought back some pretty bad emotions, but then I finally realized that nothing that I did had any outcome on the game at all. In fact none of our superstitions have any truth to them. They are all just ways for us to rationalize a situation to make us feel better or that we in some part had a hand in the outcome.
In my opinion, if we had played the Wisconsin Badgers on any other night, I truly believe that we would have won the game. The truth is that we didn't. It was the first game all year that the guys didn't finish strong. We were in pursuit of the perfect season and we fell a game short of the championship. We will never know if the Wildcats would have defeated Duke in the championship, but I would have loved to have seen it.
These 16 guys will probably not be remembered as the greatest collection of college basketball players because they didn't win a title. However, they have the longest winning streak to start a season ever at 38-0 and they inspired us all. If you were not inspired by these men, who sacrificed minutes and stats for the greater good of the team then you are truly not a basketball fan! They were a group of brothers that were always looking out for one another. I am truly saddened that they will never get to step on the court again and play together as a team. I wish them all the best of luck in their future, but I would love for as many to come back to do it all again! Thanks for reading and God bless!