BIG NEWS

A LOT has happened since the beginning of September.  The month flew by, and there have been many softball games, football games, late nights, and early mornings.  What has transpired during the past week and a half was very unexpected and even more overwhelming.  So, just to put it out there, Gracie has decided to take the opportunity to graduate early and start her collegiate career a little sooner than expected... in January.  It's crazy even thinking about it, and the emotions have been all over the place for me.  This was not an easy decision, but at the same time, a decision that makes so much sense it's hard to think twice about it.  So, all other things aside, here is the story...

September 20, after Gracie's softball games at home, we went to the Mizzou football game as a family.  We stopped by the softball tailgate to see some of Gracie's Aces teammates and their families who are now at Mizzou.  Both the head coach and the hitting coach made comments about the possibility of Gracie graduating early to come and catch for Mizzou in the spring.  THIS SPRING.  I don't think Gracie really took it seriously at first.  They mentioned it again, to all of us later when we saw them inside the stadium at the football game.  I thought about it for a moment, and then not much again until the academic coordinator for softball came and asked me about it Monday morning at work.  After a lot of research and talking with compliance, we found that it would be possible for Gracie to graduate early and she is considered an early qualifier for NCAA.  We had a serious conversation as a family about what this would mean and what all the pros and cons would be either way.  I am so proud of Gracie for being able to see the big picture and her ability to see different perspectives.  She was able to verbalize all of the great things that could come of this decision and some of the challenges that would be presented in the near future.  Both exciting and very scary.  Gracie seemed very open to looking further into it and moving forward.

Fast forward to her "unofficial" visit with her 2026 recruiting class on Friday, 9/26... She was pulled aside during weights at MATC by Coach Anderson and seriously discussed moving forward with changing her graduating class and making her eligible for Spring 2026.  Nick went in and talked to the school that morning to see if they could make it work.  The counselor Gracie usually meets with was not there, but they met in their admin meeting that afternoon to discuss what options Gracie had for early graduation.  Our school counselors and administration were so great in exploring how to make it work, and by Monday afternoon, there was a plan and it was implemented by Tuesday.  Gracie's schedule was changed to help her meet the requirements for Southern Boone graduation and the NCAA initial eligibility requirements.  She has talked to almost all the people she needs to and we are moving forward with a December graduation date and starting college in January.  All of this has happened in less than a week and a half and it's a little overwhelming to say the least.

I can't even go through all the thoughts I've had since last week, and I don't really want to write about or even talk about all of the "things" yet.  It's too raw right now and I'm still processing all the changes that will happen in the next three months.  I mean, it's much easier to go to work and ignore all those things than deal with how I'm feeling right now.  But it can't be ignored, Gracie will be done with high school in three months.

So there it is.  Gracie will be a Tiger in January.

However, before that we will have senior night and a couple more weeks of softball, maybe more. 

In the recent past...

Brook and Gracie

Gracie playing third base

More action at third

Team meeting

At bat

Conversation with coach

Smiles from the coach.

Love this.

More bonding during the other team's timeout.

More Gracie and Brookie bonding

Love these two on the infield together.

Catching vs Hickman

Ava Hansen is at bat.  It was fun seeing them play against each other one more time.

Brook, Ava, and Gracie

Not sure where Nova went.

They all played together in the LLWS.

We finally had a home game and the senior posters had been hung.

It's really real; that's what I was thinking at that time.

Home game

Pregame huddle

Gracie's grand slam against Boonville

Dad tossing her the fruit snacks after a homerun.

More smiles

Gracie and Nick were interviewed before the first home football game.

KOMU did Friday Night Fever at Southern Boone.

They asked her about Macon last year and playing them again this year.  I had my own answers for them and filled in when appropriate while I recorded it. IYKYK

First home football game!

I really am not good at taking pictures for football.

It's just too far away and hard enough for me to follow both Owen and where the ball is.

Ugh.  I suck.  Another bad picture

First Mizzou football game as a family this year.

Owen and I had not been to one yet.

On the field with the kids.

We know a guy.

Got to see the team run out

It's quite the production.

All of that for football.

I have more pictures from the past week and a half and there are at least two weeks of softball left.  I just wanted to get these out there and give a quick update for our Britton family.  There will be a lot happening in the next few weeks and a lot of changes in the next few months.  One day at a time, trying to figure it all out.