"Good Old Mason!" (continued)

Unfortunately we did not win the Holland cup. It was another exciting and tough game! We were determined but the baskets just wouldn't fall for us and the refs weren't on our side either. The ending score was 63-88 and "Good Old Mason" had 10 points. We still consider it an honor and a blessing to have made it to the finals and we look forward to what the Lord has in store for the rest of our season.

"Good Old Mason!"

The last 3 seasons Amsterdam has made it to the cup finals. This season we have the pleasure of playing in the cup again. This is a huge deal here in Amsterdam! Last night was our first game against Bergen Op Zoom. Bergen Op Zoom came out really strong and the game looked hopeless for us, losing by 15-20 points early on and trailing behind for most of the game. We honestly thought the game was a wash for us, but the performance by "Good Old Mason" pulled us through. In the last seconds of the 4th quarter Alton shot a 3 pointer to tie the game 85-85 and put us into overtime. It is said that Alton's performance was masterful and lead his team to play even better in overtime to ultimately conquer the win! They are calling him "Good Old Mason!" Lol!

It would be unfair to say that Bergen Op Zoom ever let their guard down, no way!...They played good and strong to the end. The ending score in overtime was 99-97. Alton had 32 points, 3 steals, 5 assists and 5 rebounds.
Fans in the stands thought I was a mad woman jumping up and down in 5 inch stilleto boots. Lol! I was so proud, excited and emotional. Lol! I prayed my heart out throughout the game because the win means so much to our team and our career. It's been a trying season and the end is near. Through it all we are so proud of our "Good Old Mason!" Lol!
At the end of the day we give God the glory and thank him for His grace and many blessings! We thank all of our family, friends and fans for your support, encouragement, photos, videos and most of all... your prayers.The final game is tomorrow (Sunday) against ZZ Leiden and we are praying that we walk away as Holland Cup Champions.(to be continued)

He's Pinot Noir, and I'm Chardonnay

Recently I ran upon a fun quiz about "What Kind of Wine Are You?" As a wine consultant I thought it would be interesting to find out what your wine personality is. Most of our family and friends that took the quiz happened to be the opposite wine of their choice. Funny thing is, if Alton and I are having wine, he's most likely having Chardonnay and me Pinot noir or some other red. Lol! I guess from this perspective one could say, it is a fact that we fancy one another. Lol!

Pinot Noir

You are a Pinot Noir - Refined, smooth, and emotional.
Your friends often describe you as a very intelligent and intellectual conversationalist, always bringing up an interesting perspective on any topic. You are well-mannered and enjoy fine things, but can also get into a well-made simple meal. You pay attention to detail but also care about history and stories behind people and things. You are a fun person once someone gets to know you, and are known for your wonderful and smart sense of humor.

Chardonnay

You are a Chardonnay - Fun, joyful, and very social.
Your friends often describe you as having a wonderful love of life and people. You are charismatic, friendly, and love to smile. You love warm sunny days when you can go outside and take in the sun with your friends. You are casual and down-to-earth and very approachable. You always give people a second chance and are open to meeting new people and learning new things. Traveling to beautiful and interesting places is one of your favorite things to do, as is going out to eat with family and friends.

"Der-ree!"

Aniah Evelyn-Rose Mason aka Nye Nye turned 3 on March 1st. She is happy to announce that she is "der-ree." We all just laugh everytime she says it. It's so cute! She can tell you the date of her birthday as well. She is very smart and quick-witted. However we do think she is in the "terrible 3" phase. It's not as bad as we've heard, but she has been more testy and whiney and mouthy. She has also started to put her toys in the dryer...shout out to Hudson. Lol!

This year we celebrated(Sunday) Nye Nye's birthday at Ballorig, an indoor family fun center. Nye Nye wore her favorite purple dress that has a detachable clutch on the front of it and the tiara her Nanna gave her.The Melson's drove down from Belgium to celebrate with us. Nye Nye really wanted Kaelyn there. Kaelyn is a little smaller than Aniah and I think she loves that. Out of Aniah's 3 years on this earth the Melson's have celebrated 2 of her birthdays with us. We think that is a special thing, especially since we have no family around. The girls get along well. Before going to the family fun center we went to church and then to Nye Nye's favorite fast food restaurant...KFC. We always laugh that she likes KFC the most because most kids prefer McDonald's or pizza. But it was her choice so KFC it was. Lol! After playing at Ballorig for a couple hours we went back to our place for cake, ice cream and snacks. This year I made her cake. As you know I love to design cakes but I always have someone else make them because I'm not much of a baker.Not this year though.... I'm proud to say that my cake turned out okay. I made her a yellow bundt cake with drizzled chocolate frosting and sprinkles on top. The cake was gone the next day, so I think that was a good sign. Lol! Aniah got clothes and toys for her birthday and money from her guests.

On Monday, the day of her birthday, Daddy and I took Nye Nye out to lunch for french baguettes and then she wanted to go shopping with her birthday money. She bought earrings and more toys. She kept wanting to buy duplicates of everything for her sister as well.....I wonder where she gets that from? Lol! We always have the best time celebrating each others birthdays and it always lasts more than just that day, we just can't help it....we are just so grateful and feel so blessed! Happy birthday Aniah! We love you sooooooooooooo much too!

He got Fish!

Alston is now 8 years old. He's been asking for a pet so we decided to get him one for his birthday....he got fish! We went to the pet store to get him a fish and all the accessories and ended up leaving with 2 fish. For some reason his Daddy thought the one would be too lonely. Lol! Alston named his goldfish "Tuck" and "Shawn." He feeds them everyday after school, cleans their tank every week and sits by the window talking to them often. It's really cute and fun for him. I think it will also make him more responsible. Fish and a puppy were his top 2 pet choices and he's happy he got the fish because they don't require as much attention and care. I'm happy he got fish too because I am allergic and terrified of dogs. Everyone in the house, besides me, were almost leaning towards a puppy for him. I almost gave in, but no!

We celebrated Alston's birthday at McDonald's and he had a school buddy sleepover. The MC of the game also announced his birthday at the game 2 days before his actual birthday and the whole crowd sang to him. Alston also competed at the half time challenge that night....he had to shoot from the 3 point line, and then the free throw line in order to win a prize. He made the free throw and everyone was shocked. Lol! He's pretty short, but I'm telling you, the boy has handles with a basketball. He's still working at the games as "Court boy" and he loves to interact with the team and refs while on the court. Alston also just got a new haircut...a modern mohawk. I can't believe it! Lol! It's so fun to watch them grow and see their little personalities come out.

We praise God for blessing him with another year with us and pray for many more to come. Happy birthday Alston! We love you sooooooooooo much!