Go dad, it's yo birthday...

Today my old man turns 43. And something y'all should know about him, is that he is the BEST dad/coach/friend a girl could ask for. I don't know how i got so dang lucky. Without my dad I wouldn't be who I am today. He has taught me how to be a winner/competitor not only in sports but in life as well. We have definitely had our moments, most of which have come from a bad game or the occasional...well, i think they've all come from a situation relating to sports. But hey, i thank him for that...because he doesn't let me settle for just being mediocre in anything, he expects me to be the best out there because he is aware of my potential. I love that my dad believes in me and knows me so well. He's been there for me through the good times and the bad. We have laughed together and cried together through so many moments. I've been able to share some pretty cool times with my dad, and being the only daughter has its perks. Some of my favorite memories with him will be out in the mountains when he takes me with him hunting or scouting. Just sittting on the back of the four-wheeler holding onto him for dear life, or sitting down on a nice rock to eat our sandwhiches (which of course are always the best; he has a real knack for sandwhich making) after a steep hike to the top of a ridge. I used to get pretty scared at night when we'd be out in the mountains, because...dont judge me...i believed bigfoot was real and alive and in within a short distance of our camping trailor. But I always knew that everything would be okay, because my dad was big and strong and knew how to shoot a gun. He always made me feel so safe, still does. I'm so grateful for all the memories we have down at the fields, in the batting cage, or at the church gym. Those will always be some of the best, I owe everything I am as an athlete to that man. I hope that someday my husband will be half as good of a coach to my kids as my dad has been to me and my brothers. He has put forth so much time and effort into us and our teams and helping us to be the best out there. Somehow my dad is all knowing. I'm not sure how either. And maybe sometimes he just makes crap up, but man...he sure makes it sound believable. Like I don't think he has EVER used a map or a GPS when we travel. Somehow someway he know exactly how to get us where were going. He can seriously fix anything. He is the ultimate handyman. He knows every song known to man, and sports trivia? Insane I tell you. Except once he told me he invented pig tails, and was a backstreet boy...and that's aside from the point but I BELIEVED IT FOR THE LONGEST TIME. Anyway, I love my dad. He works so hard to provide for our family and give us everything we want. I wouldn't trade him for the world. And dad if you are reading this I know a really great birthday present you could get yourself and perhaps your favorite child. 2 tickets to Omaha for the CWS. But don't feel pressured into anything. I LOVE YOU DAD. More than anything.

Sunburns in February

I love where I live. I love it so dang much. The weather is seriously pristine and everything about st. george is perfection. It's freakin Feb guys and I wore shorts and a T-shirt all weekend! Watched baseball games, drank root beer from a glass bottle, walked around barefoot, and soaked up the sun with my friends. Summer I'm so ready for ya!

A bitter sweet experience

Last Thursday was senior night. And everyone knows how emotional that can get. Last region home game, potentially last home game for the seniors ever. Especially with this group of girls, having played together for so long and going through it all with each other. But that wasn't the only reason it was going to be emotional. I was told I would be starting. Even though it would only be for a brief moment, my name would be called and I would run through the tunnel for the first time this season. Just thinking about it made me wanna cry. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't have those "first game" jitters. I was the last one to be called, "at a guard, senior, number 3 Autumn Shipp!" I was overcome with emotion as I received a standing ovation and hobbled as fast as I could through the tunnel. My teammates all have me a hug before tip off. We let the other team (Hurricane) win the tip, and score a layup so that my team could pass to me at the other end of the court and I could get a shot off. I missed my jump shot, which beeteedubs I was not happy about..I had good intentions if going one hunnud percent on the season;) then meg got the rebound, this is hilarious, goes back up with the shot..misses, so I run over to get and tell GIVE ME THE BALL, and shoot my layup. It was hilarious. Everyone was cheering for me as I walked off the court, that's when I couldn't hold in the tears. It was so bittersweet. I wished so badly I could stay out there, on my court, with my teammates, and play my game. But I couldn't, and that hurt really bad. It was back to the bench I went. I was sad for a minute, but then ya know what? I realized that, I was so lucky. To get to have at least that one moment, that one memory, and for a second, it almost felt like nothing was wrong...just like it used to be:)

Here's the moment caught on camera:

http://youtu.be/eStTVVyRXqI

Warrior Pride.

Our boys basketball team has been doing so good this year! It's so fun to have a competitive team that's exciting to watch. Chandler Gines just returned from an ACL injury...and he has been lighting it up. Seriously, the kid is AMAZING. He doesn't know how much of an impact he has had on my whole outlook of things. Gabe Jensen just barely started playing again, he also just got back from and ACL tear. He's slowly trying to work back into things, but he's looking good out there It's good to see them back at something they love. Kallan Webster also has had his trials this season, from getting a cancerous mole surgically removed, to sprained ankles...he's been a huge part of the team. And there's some super good juniors and sophomores that contribute. Region 9 is so competitive, and so Intense. From rivalries and insane coaches to the worlds most hated ref (Phil). It's crazy. The crowd the student sections. The fight me and megan ha e to put up for a friggin front row seat. That's what highschool is all about! I love every minute of it! Plus the celebratory after parties are so fun with all the friends. I wouldn't trade being a warrior for anything!

Little brother

I guess everyone has that connection with the baby of the family, but my little brother is so special to me. No offense to my other brothers, but Ledger definitely got the best looks. He is so freakin cute. And he is growing up so fast, I hate it so much. Ledger LOVES...and I mean loves, like basically lives for baseball, basketball and football. I think it's because he has grown up around it so much, and because Britton plays. He would go to all of his practices, and down to the field on the weekends with all the boys and my dad. he always comes home saying, "Aut I hit so many homeruns!" He knows more about sports, players and teams than I do and he's 6. He'd be in his full get up for his t-ball games, eyeblack, phiton necklace, arm sleeve, sweat band, he even had the tiniest under armour sliding shorts. SO CUTE! Oh and he slid head first into every base. Like what little kid does that? The day before a game he sleeps in his uniform, and shoes...it's so funny. I guess you'd just have to see it, to know all of his funny little tendancies. But he is so sweet to me, My most favorite thing is when night time rolls around...I say "leddy, i love you." and he'll say "I love you more." then I'll say "I love you most." and he'll add "I love you mostest." then "I love you a million." "I love you a google." and it just keeps going and going. He is so good to snuggle with me, and give me kisses and hugs. He really is such a good little boy. I'm lucky to have a brother like him.

My girl Meg

My best friend, Megan Leavitt. She is so great. And I am literally SO grateful for her. She just sent off a missionary and it has been really hard for her, but it's meant a lot to me that she has come to me to comfort her. We will always be there for eachother, no matter what. I have to give her credit. She handled a boyfriend and a best friend pretty dang good. I go back and look through pictures and literally 90% of them are with Meg. We have had way too many memories to count. And I just sit here, I laugh because we are so freakin hilarious. Like we have almost been kidnapped 5 times, killed 6 times, arrested 3 times, drowned 4 times, crashed 10 times, given a record deal 7 times, and classified as obese 289 times. Thinking about having to move on and go to college without her makes me super sad. She is my go to girl, I call her and tell her everything the second it happens. Same with her. We basically live at eachothers houses, eat all of eachothers food, yell at eachothers siblings. Megan is such a good person, inside and out. She is one of the prettiest girls I know, and I would die for all 6 feet of her long tan legs. She is a beaut. We have this grand idea, that we are going to take a spontaneous road trip to California, not telling anyone. Take a camera, a swimsuit and some pocket change, and just Go. We want to take a trip together so bad, we want to take a tip to europe next summer...too bad we're broke and can't save money worth a lick. It's a problem. Oh well, lemonade stand maybe? Anyway...I'm so glad to call her my best friend. She is the Salt to my Pepper. The shaz to my natz. The wheel to my axel. The milk to my cookie. The grilled to my cheese. The...okay that's good. Y'all get my pint. SHE IS THE SHIZ. And if i wasn't into boys I would deffs marry her. Here is a little bit of nonsense you might want to know about us.

Our FAVORITE thing to do is drive around in Meg's truck and blast music, to some of our fav songs: Anything Nicki Minaj, Get Low, Yeah!, Anything TSwift, I'm N luv wit a Stripper (hahahaha), Lollipop Remix, Beez in the Trap, Love Don't Run, the Snowman Song, Love Like Woe, Show Stopper, Shoulda Been a Cowboy, Ms. Officer, Miss New Booty, And like soooo many more.

We also like to run over traffic cones when no one is looking.

We spent our life savings at Mcdonalds 2 summers ago.

Some of our best memories together are at Lake powell tubing. (LOLZYYYY)

We once made pet rocks and lost them on a walk.

Megan let my dog off his leash one time cause she was mad at me, and he got lost.

We almost got kidnapped by a native american.

We were obsessed with 24 and Jack Bauer...still are.

We have this voice we like to talk in and we call it Corn Dog Talk.

We have a serious problem when we are together, but it's not something to share with the public.

We like to go to airport hill and just talk and chill.

We make up words and sayings and use them till we can no longer stand the thought of them.

We are obsessed with the Bachelor and Bachelorette.

There was a point in our lives when the only thing we cared about was Justin Bieber.

We used to go to the lake every day and ride the jet ski and sing girls just wanna have fun at the top of our lungs.

We like to spy on people and let small rodents go into places they shouldn't be.

Tomater Sanmiches.

Oh and we really like Orange Peach Mango Juice.

A Bump in the Road

Well, we were nearing the first game of the season. Thursday's practice was intense and a pretty solid one all around. We were scrimmaging, running our offense...and in the blink of an eye, my high school basketball career went from awesome to over.  I had come down for a jump stop and my knee just gave out, the pop was loud as I fell to the ground.  From the moment I heard the pop I knew that I was most likely done for. That feeling, that thought...is something I can't even explain. It was the worst feeling I've ever felt, I just remember yelling and crying, "How could this be happening?" "No." "No!" my teammates were over in the corner saying a prayer for me. The feeling in the gym was numb.  They helped me into Dujuan's office (Our athletic trainer at SCHS) and he performed some tests on me to see if he could tell what happened.  He thought that it might be a partial ACL tear. Which wasn't what I wanted to hear. There were so many things running through my head, but one thing was for certain...I needed to call upon my heavenly father. So I asked my coaches for a blessing, and they gave it to me right there in the training room. From that moment on I knew that whatever the outcome was that it would be the Lords will, and that even if I didn't understand at that moment why, he had a plan in store for me.  My dad picked me up and we drove to the hospital, where we'd have a doctor look at it.  The whole ride over I couldn't help but cry hysterically, thinking that I might never get to play with my basketball team again. Or my softball team for that matter.  My dad wouldn't say anything.  I think he was in shock and just didn't know how to handle the situation. The doctor was really nice, he performed the lochman's test on both knees. And it was apparent that my left knee had a lot more give than my right.  Which isn't a good sign.  He backed up on his wheely chair. Took a deep breath, and paused.  I knew. I knew what he was thinking, and what he was about to say. I just started shaking my head. I didn't want the words to come out.  I didn't want it to be true.  I looked at my dad and we both just started crying. I tried to hold back the tears, but when you find out that your senior year of sports is going to be cut short by 2 season, 6 months, it's really hard to do that. Basketball had been consuming my thoughts ever since soccer got over. He told us that he hopes he's wrong, but it's not likely. So we drove home, my dad held my hand and continued to tell me it would be okay.  I got home and just fell to the ground in tears.  How could this happen? I still had a little hope that the doctor was wrong and the MRI would tell a different story.  The next day I got and MRI around 3, and got a call from my dad around 6.  It was my dad, calling to confirm my worst fear.  The MRI had shown a torn ACL and Meniscus.  I was with my friend Kacey driving home from a mission call opening, so I was holding back the tears as best as I could...she was so comforting to me for the time being though. As soon as I got out of the car, my emotions broke loose. Basketball had been consuming my thoughts ever since soccer got over. Senior year, it's when you are at your peak...your highest level of play. I was so excited, for the lights to go out, for the music to play, and for them to call my name for the starting line-up..."At a guard, senior, number 3...Autumnnnn Shipppp." To run through my teammates and hi-five them along the way. My move was coming along so perfectly, there was no way the refs were going to call travel on me this year, I was going to get lay-up after lay-up.  I was just about to order my new shoes. the 2012 hyperdunks, all black with a forest green accent. The crowd, the emotion, coach Jensen yelling at me to rebound, Coach Matua telling me I was Dwayne Wade in a girls body, calling me lock down, and expecting me to lockdown their main offensive players, all the fastbreak layups, all the funny comments Grace would make at the free throw line, all the clutch 3's, the great defense, the big steals, the huffing and puffing at time-outs, the crazy half-time speeches, the post game butt kickin from my dad if i didn't play well, the butterflies, the way we'd joke with eachother out on the court, the way we'd pick eachother up, everything...it was all being ripped right from me. Do you know what it's like to have something you love so much, something that you were going to be so successful in, something that you were going to make a million memories with...just taken away from you? It's crazy to me, how much we take the game for granted. I just wanted another chance to play, another chance to go out on that court, run my guts out, and give it all I had...one last time. But that chance would never come. My highschool career was over. It was something I couldn't take the thought of.  Since the beginning of the year I've been dreading the day I would play my final highschool game, I thought it would come during the playoffs or state-championship of softball. And eventually we'd all have to face our last game, and learn what it's like to miss it. But I guess I just have to start missing it a little earlier than the rest.  Maybe I'm being over dramatic, and maybe you're thinking it's really not that big of a deal. Yeah, sports aren't my entire life...but man, they are sure ALOT of it. You never realize how much you love something till it's gone I guess. But one thing is for certain, I was one lucky girl to be able to have such a successful sports career before my injury. A handful of little league softball state-championships, border-league championships, too many club soccer medals to count, and 2 high school  state championships that I wouldn't trade the world for.  The memories I had with my teammates and coaches are one's that I will treasure forever, and always keep close to my heart. I don't have any regrets. Because I feel like i pushed myself and was giving it my all, all the time. But if I could go back, I'd do it all with a smile on my face, because I could, becuase I had the legs and the health to do it. I wouldn't have complained about runnning ladders, I wouldn't have complained about having a softball tournament on the weekend and having to miss out on something for it. I would do anything to listen to my coach say "GET ON THE BASELINE," one more time, so that I could run sprint after sprint after sprint with my teammates. I think about the times when i thought i was tired, and I thought I couldn't go any further. And now I look at my teammates, and I listen to them talking about how they are so tired and soar. But they aren't tired...they just think they are. They aren't soar either. They just feel that way. I want them to be able to understand that they can't let those little things interfer with their play, becuase it won't last forever. I just wish they could see it the way I see it...now. That night, I got down on my knees...which let me tell ya, WASN'T VERY COMFORTBALE! But I knelt as best as I could, and thanked my heavenly father. For everything I had been given and blessed with, and had been able to be a part of and succeed in.  I thanked him for giving me this trial, and I asked him to help me through it.  I have never said a more sincere prayer I don't think.  I figured I could choose to take 1 of the 2 approaches. I could either blame it on him, and ask 'why me?' or I could trust in his plan, and ask for help and guidance.  The second option seemed like the best one;) My parents came in my room and we just held each other and cried.  I could tell they were trying so hard to comfort me and know what to say, but it's just hard cause in that situation there isn't much that can be said to stop the hurt ya know? Megan came over and we just cried in my bed together, it was so hard for me to see people other than myself hurting like that.  But the thought thought that me and her would never play basketball together again was one that cut us both pretty deep. I guess those are things I should just try not to think about, or they'll drive ya crazy.We were joking with eachother, "Who's gonna cry with me about being in foul trouble and sitting on the bench together." "Who's gonna make fun of the refs with me and make snyde remarks?" those are the little things I'll miss about being out there. I slept with my dad on the couch that night, I went to bed hoping that I'd wake up and it would've all just been a bad dream. But morning came, and I went to move my leg...It wasn't a dream, it was real.  I had been getting so much support, tweets, texts, calls visits, I was reminded of how many people love me and care about me...I'm seriously so blessed with such amazing friends, family, teammates, coaches, and even complete strangers who I've somehow come to know through this.  It has meant so much to me, that they have been so kind and sweet! It would be close to unbearable if I didn't have the constant pick-me-up from the people around me! My coach and teammates were so good to me, I don't know what I would've done those first couple of days without without their support and love. I know that I'm still going to be a big part of the team, but not in the way I would've initially like.  I hope that I can be a motivation to those girls, give them something more to play for. I hope I can make them realize that you gotta play like it's your last play EVERY PLAY. becuase truth is, you never know when it might in fact be your final play. I know it'll be hard watching them out there on the court, but I have a feeling that I will be more of a contributor than ever this year, I don't know how or when...but I know that things happen for a reason, and Heavenly father wouldn't put me in this position if he didn't think I could handle it and make the best of it. When I lay in bed at night and think that no one could possibly understand how I feel, I'm reminded that he once suffered through it for me...and that gives me strength. Sometimes it's hard to pretend like it's easy...becuase it's far from it, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?