Yay, Broncos! Plus, GRAND Social No. 191 link party for grandparents

Yay, Broncos!

The Denver Broncos are going to the Super Bowl! Hooray for the home team!

It was sheer joy all across social media last night for Broncos fans — and the Broncos — as Peyton Manning and the gang beat (big time!) Tom Brady and the Patriots!

Denver Broncos Instagram page
Celebration on the Denver Broncos Instagram Page

Congratulations, Broncos! Let's take...

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Movie review: CONCUSSION

As grandmother to three rambunctious, sports-loving grandsons who regularly bonk, bruise and bump-up their heads and who will likely continue playing sports through to their adult years, concussions have long concerned me. After seeing CONCUSSION, my concerns about repetitive blows and bonks to my beloved boys' brains in the long-term have grown even deeper. (And are now, in a way, confirmed and justified.)

CONCUSSION movie poster

CONCUSSION tells the disturbing story of Dr. Bennet Omalu's mission to wake up...

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Saturday movie review: Creed

I loved the original ROCKY. The first sequel not so much. All the following sequels? I refused to watch them, as the magic was gone.

The ROCKY magic is back, only it now goes by the name of CREED.

 CREED movie

I must say I was a bit hesitant to pay good money to see CREED, but it won the...

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Wherein a grandson samples sports and a grandma admits her paranoia

My oldest grandson, at seven-years-old, has already tried his hand at many sports.

Bubby has mastered swimming. He's progressed from T-ball to baseball. He's sampled soccer and running and basketball and wall climbing. Plus others I've likely forgot (or didn't photograph).

Bubby's latest sporty venture? Flag football!

youth sports flag football 

Bubby loves it! (Please note that despite...

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Climbing the wall

My grandsons and their parents are pretty much fully moved into their new home. Their backyard, though, is undergoing a mega-makeover (a pool and more!), which means the boys are unable to play outside in the yard for a few months.

Good thing they have a park right across the street.

Despite the nearby park, though, Bubby and Mac were already climbing the walls soon into the relocation. So when PawDad and I were there a week or so ago, Preston took Bubby, Mac, and PawDad to the local community center to burn off some energy playing basketball. And to, literally, climb the walls.

Mac was too tiny for the wall-climbing venture, but Bubby was a pro in no time. He quickly mastered the small wall...

rock climbing kid 

Then Bubby moved on to the medium wall...

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Grandma's all-star! Plus, GRAND Social No. 165 link party for grandparents

Grandma's all-star

My grandsons are sporty little squirts, but as a long-distance grandma, I have few opportunities to see their games and other athletic endeavors. Last week, though, I had the pleasure of attending one of Bubby's basketball games.

I was filled with pride at what a great team player Bubby is as well as how truly awesome the kid is on the court.

youth basketball

Winning news for Gramma: I'll be in the desert again at the end of this week, and...

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An award for Mac, plus GRAND Social No. 156 link party for grandparents

An award for Mac

As long-distance grandparents, Jim and I rarely get to see our grandsons' games, school performances, or award ceremonies. Which is why we were especially pleased to be a guest of Mac's at his end-of-season pizza party for his T-ball team on Saturday where Mac (like all the mini players) received an award for his season-long efforts.

t-ball award 

We never had the chance to see Mac play a game, but...

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Sweet reward for sweaty work

Thomas Edison has been quoted as saying, "The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense."

I'm pretty sure Mac would add to Edison's adage a fourth essential for achievement: frozen yogurt afterward!

Mac's frozen yogurt 

Mac enjoyed his sweet reward for his...

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Saturday movie review: McFarland USA

My oldest daughter ran cross-country for a bit in high school, and she and her two sisters all enjoy running events of various sorts still as adults. Which means I knew a little something about the cross-country sport going into MCFARLAND USA, based on the true story of one of the most incredible teams in cross-country history. You need not know a single thing about the sport, though, in order to enjoy and appreciate—as well as root for—MCFARLAND USA.

mcfarland usa movie

MCFARLAND USA is set in 1987 and stars Kevin Costner as the real-life Jim White, a down...

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Forgotten photos: Splash!

I recently purchased an external hard drive on which I can house a big chunk of my photos. I take so many pictures — and have a horrendous time hitting the delete button, even if I have 26 of the same shot — that I came perilously close to crashing my laptop under the weight of the mega megabyte-sized pictures I've been hoarding.

 swimming pool jump

As I went through the pictures folder...

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